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REMINISCENCES 



OF 



SARATOGA 



AND 



BALLSTON. 



BY 



,\^y 



WILLIAM L: STONE, 

AUTHOR OF "THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART., 



LIFE AND 



WRITINGS OF COLONEL WILLIAM L. STONE, 

CITY," ETC., ETC. 



HISTORY OF NEW YORK 



•» Go on ! and thrive ! Demurest of odd fellows ! 
Bottling up dulness in an ancient bin ! 
Still live ! still prose ! continue still to tell us 
Old truths! no strangers though we take them in ^-^ 

hi > 

in X 
>> o 



ILLUSTRATED. 




New York: ^^^--'^r"^^'""'^ -^.^ 
VIRTUE & YORSTON, ^^ t)^V'lTI^ET3^ 

O 

^ ■ t- ■ 



.</' 




, S 3 5 ^x" 



Entered, accor|ing tfXct of Congress, in the year 1875, by 
^VIRtS^ & YORSTON, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



TO THE 

Hon. Charles S. Lester, 



THE 



UPRIGHT JUDGE AND PUBLIC-SPIRITED CITIZEN, 

AS A MARK OF 

HIGH PERSONAL ESTEEM, 

THIS VOLUME IS 

AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 

BY 

HIS FRIEND AND FORMER TOWNSMAN, 

The Author. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



'T^HE circumstances that led to the preparation of 
the following sketches, which appeared origi- 
nally in the Daily Saratogian, cannot perhaps be 
better stated than by quoting an extract from the 
first article of the series in that paper, under date of 
June lo, 1874: 

** I have been frequently requested to prepare a 
series of sketches of * Saratoga in ye Olden Time * 
by people who have been kind enough to say that, 
from my having been acquainted from boyhood with 
many octogenarians who have now passed away, I 
could give a number of reminiscences gathered from 
those sources, which must prove of peculiar interest 
to the present generation of Saratogians. This may 
or may not be so. At any rate, I now purpose to 
write a series of weekly sketches, extending perhaps 
through six months, in which I shall endeavor to 
recall the interesting memories that cluster around 
the name of Saratoga. While, moreover, these 
sketches will necessarily be somewhat desultory in 
character, yet their chronological order will, as far 



INTROD UCTOR Y. 



as possible, be preserved. And here, also, I take the 
opportunity of saying that I shall not trench upon 
the history of the various springs as related in the 
Guide-Books of myself and others, since any one with 
fifty cents can purchase them and acquire all such in- 
formation. But what I do propose is simply this, 
viz., To those who are really attached to Saratoga, 
sketches of men and things connected with its early 
history will be of great value, especially since as they 
are so covered up with the dust of years as never yet 
to have been brought to light. Now it shall be my 
endeavor to brush away this dust, and bring them 
forth to the light of day." 

Since the publication of these sketches, many per- 
sons who have derived pleasure from their perusal 
have intimated that they should be put into the more 
permanent form of a book. Complying, therefore, 
with this suggestion, I now give them to the public. 

WILLIAM L. STONE. 

Saratoga Springs, July i, 1875. 



CONTENTS. 



■ < ♦»' 



CHAPTER ^ PAGE 

I. Visit of Sir William Johnson, Bart., in 1767, 5 

II. Visit of General Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Governor 

George Clinton to the High Rock in 1783, 13 

III. A Visit to Saratoga Springs and the Battle Ground in 1789, . . 19 
IV^. The Escape of Amos Stafford from the Wyoming Massacre to Sara- 
toga, 32 

V. Samuel Waterbury — His Revolutionary Services and Settlement in 

Saratoga Springs, 48 

VI. Gideon Putnam— His Great Services to Saratoga Springs, . . • 55 

VII. Alexander Bryan, 66 

VIII. The Early Settlers of Saratoga— The Arnold, Mosher, Jewel, Taylor, 

Bollard, and Fitch Families, 72 

IX. Lake Saratoga— Its Colonial and Early History— The Great Kaya- 

derosseras Patent, .86 

X. Lake Saratoga — Its Legends and Traditions, 97 

XI. Lake Saratoga — Its Early Piscatory History, "4 

XII. How Pete Francis Fiddled to the Wolves— A Reminiscence of the 

old Fisherman of Lake Saratoga, 121 

XIII. Bear Swamp — Its Human and Brute Inhabitants— How Dobson Treed 

the Bear — Crabb, the Astrologer, 129 

XIV. BearSwamp— The Mirage— Its Lakes— The Old Dutchman Barhydt, 152 
XV An Interior View of Saratoga Springs fifty years ago, . . . .160 

XVI. The Cholera Season of 1832, i73 

XVII. Early Railroading, 178 

XVIII. Fourth of July in Saratoga and Ballston in 1840, .... 186 

XIX. The Great Whig Gathering of 1840— Speech of Daniel Webster, . 190 

XX. The Graveyards of Saratoga, i97 

XXI. Queer People— A ngeline Tubbs, Tom Camel, Madame Jumel, etc., 211 
XXII. Historical Characters— Anecdotes of Joseph Bonaparte, McDonald 
Clarke, Lafayette, Cooper, Putnam, Fulton, Ehsha Williams, 

Van Buren, etc., 222 

XXIII. The Schools of Saratoga, 244 

3 




CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGE 

XXIV. The Early Debating Clubs of Saratoga, -. . .• . . . 250 
XXV, Early History of the Baptist and Presbyterian Churches — Rev. 

D. O. Griswold and Rev. S. W. Whelpley, 259 

XXVI. Rev. Francis Wayland, .....«<«.. 272 

XXVII. Miles Beach 283 

XXVIII. Henr>' Walton and John Clarke, 287 

XXIX. Dr. John H, Steel, 298 

XXX. Dr. Richard L. Allen 307 

XXXI. Gideon M. Davison, 313 

XXXII. Rev. John D. Moriarty, 321 

XXXIII. Captain Stephen Dexter, 325 

XXX IV. Chancellor Walworth and Pine Grove, . ...... 333 

XXXV. Esek Cowen, 359 

XXXVI. John Willard, 373 

XXXVII. William Hay, 391 

XXXVIII. The Early Settlement of Ballstoa, 399 

XXXIX. The Tory Invasion of 17S0, and the Gonzalez Tragedy, . . . 412 
XL. Retrospective — The Mineral Fountains of Saratoga, .... 434 

APPENDIX. 

I. The Bibliography of Saratoga Springs and Ballstoo, .... 439 
II. Daniel Cady's last Ejectment Suit, .•••••. 449 



Reminiscences of Saratoga, 



CHAPTER I. 
Visit of Sir William Johnson, Bart., in 1707. 

" Is this not a strange fellow, my lord ? that so confidently seems to undertake this 
business, which he knows is not to be done ; damns himself to do, and dares better b« 
damned than to do it ? ''"'—Shakspere. 

BEFORE giving an account of the visit of Sir Wil- 
liam Johnson, Bart., it seems proper to say a 
few words in relation to Saratoga itself. The name 
Saratoga, Kayaderoga, or SaragJwga — and, in view of 
the great confusion existing in regard to it, the fact 
should be duly remembered — means The Place of the 
Swift Water — '' saragJi " signifying " swift water," 
*^ aga'' or ** oga'' in the Iroquois dialect being merely 
an inflection or termination meaning ** the place of " 
or "the people of."* Hence, Ticonder^?^^, " the place 
where the lake (Lake George) shuts itself " ; Sa- 
cand^^^, ** the place or the people of the roaring 
water " ; Niagt?;-^, " the place of the falling waters," 
etc. Formerly, Schuyler's settlement on the Hudson 

* Letter of Sir William Johnson to Arthur Lee, of the Philosjphical Society^ 
upon the Language of the Six Nations, Feb. 28, 1771. 

S 



6 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

(now Schuylerville) was known by the name of 
"Saratoga" or *' swift water," to distinguish that 
point in the river from the '' still water" which there 
begins and extends down to the present village of 
" Stillwater." Saratoga Lake was so named from its 
proximity to Saratoga on the river ; and when the 
Springs became famous, as they were within the 
district, they were named " The Saratoga Springs." * 

Nor is Saratoga without its warlike traditions. 
Long before its Springs were known, the old ** Stiles 
Tavern " in Wilton was the site of a sanguinary 
battle, fought in 1693 between the French forces 
under the celebrated partisan De Manteth and the 
English, led by Major Peter Schuyler, the grand-uncle 
of General Philip Schuyler. The latter were victo- 
rious ; and the enemy, utterly discomfited, beat a 
hasty retreat into Canada. 

Having thus disposed of these preliminaries, we now 
come to the visit of Sir William Johnson, the first white 
man who, so far as is known, visited Saratoga Springs. 
Sir W^illiam, under a commission of ]\Iajor-General 
from his Majesty George IL, defeated the flower of 
the French army, under Baron Dieskau, at the battle 
of Lake George, on the 8th of September, 1755. In 
this action he received a severe wound by a bullet in 



* The meaning of the name Saratoga has long been involved in obscurity. The 
father of Judge G. G. Scott, of Ballston, however, was informed by a Mohawk In- 
dian that the meaning of Saratoga is the one given in the text, and there seems no 
good reason for doubting that it is the correct one 



SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON'S VISIT. 



his thigh, from the effects of which he never wholly 
recovered, but was frequently subject to serious 
illness. At such times the wound, from which the 
ball was never extracted, became excessively painful, 
rendering him for weeks, after an attack, unable to 
ride on horseback or to endure any active exercise. 
Suitable medical attendance it was very difficult to 
procure, and it frequently happened that, having 
exhausted the contents of his own medical chest, he 
was obliged to send to Albany, and sometimes to 
New York, for a physician. It was during one of 
these attacks, in the summer of 1767, that the Mo- 
hawks determined, in solemn council, to reveal to 
their beloved brother, War-ra-ghi-ya-ghy, the peculiar 
medicinal properties of the '' HiGH RoCK SPRING." 
Nor, perhaps, could there have been any stronger 
proof of the affection in which he was held by these 
sons of the forest, than their resolution to give their 
brother the benefits of that which they had always 
sacredly guarded as the precious gift to themselves 
alone from the Great Spirit. Accompanied by his 
Indian guides, the Baronet set out on his journey the 
22d of August, and passing down the Mohawk from 
Johnstown in a boat, soon reached Schenectady. At 
this place, being too feeble either to walk or ride, he 
was placed on a litter and borne on the stalwart 
shoulders of his Indian attendants through the woods 
to Ballston Lake, which he reached the same evening. 
Tarrying over night at the log cabin of Michael 



8 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

McDonald, an Irishman, who had recently begun a 
clearing in the vicinity, the party, three hours before 
sunrise the next day, plunged again into the forest ; 
and, following the trail of Indian hunters along that 
which is now the road from Ballston to Saratoga, 
came to the chief tributary of Lake Saratoga, the 
Kayaderosseras. 

In the gray dawn of that summer morning, along 
the green aisles of the primeval forest, the party 
silently pursued their way. The moccasined feet 
pressed down the wild-flowers in their path. Wheel- 
ing above with untiring wing, as if moving with and 
watching over the party, were several noble bald 
eagles, whose eyries hung on the beetling crags, 
affording to the invalid a presage of health and hap- 
piness. Aloft, the pine-tree towered above a sea of 
verdure, and below, the maple, whose virgin cheeks 
were not yet brazen with the paint of early frosts, 
modestly shrank from the passing gaze. " Old fir- 
trees, hoary and grim, shaggy with pendant mosses, 
leaned above the stream, and beneath, dead and 
submerged, a fallen sycamore thrust from the current 
the bare, bleached limbs of its colossal skeleton." 

The sun was an hour above the eastern hills when 
the startled deer saw the evergreens sway and the 
Baronet's party emerge from the thicket. Their 
polished bracelets and rich trappings, glittering in the 
dewy foliage like so many diamonds, were in keeping 
with the cheerfulness visible upon each countenance 



SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON'S VISIT. 



— for were they not bearing their dearly beloved 
brother to the medicine spring of the Great Spirit? 
As the party emerge from the glade upon the green- 
sward, they separate into two divisions, and, with 
gentle tread, approach the spring, bearing their pre- 
cious burden in the centre. Pausing a few rods from 
the spring, the Baronet leaves the litter; and, for a 
moment, his manly form, wrapped in his scarlet 
blanket bordered with gold lace, stands towering and 
erect above the waving plumes of his Mohawk 
braves. Then, approaching the spring, he kneels, 
with uncovered head, and reverently places upon the 
rock a roll of fragrant tobacco — his propitiatory offer- 
ing to the Manitou of the Spring. Still kneeling, he 
fills and lights the great calumet, which, through a 
long line of kings, had descended to the renowned 
Pontiac, and, taking a whiff from its hieroglyphic 
stem, passes it to each chieftain in turn. Then, amid 
the profound silence of his warriors, he for the first 
time touches his lips to the water; and, gathering the 
folds of his mantle about him, amid a wild and 
strange chant raised by the Indians to their Deity, he 
enters the rude bark lodge which, with prudent fore- 
thought, his braves had erected for his comfort, 
directly where the bottling-house now stands; and in 
this primitive liotel reclined the first white man that 
had ever visited this Spring. Yet while the sufferer 
lay on his evergreen couch, did the fortunes of the 
General whom he had defeated twelve years previously 



10 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

occur to him '? Perhaps so ; for by a singular coinci- 
dence, while the conqueror of Dieskau was prostrated 
amid these forests, where the wounds of both had 
been received, the French General was languishing 
on his death-bed at a small town in the interior of 
France* — 

"The paths of glory lead but to the grave." 

Sir William Johnson had been but four days at the 
" High Rock " when he received letters obliging him 
to hasten immediately home. Short as his visit was, 
however, the water restored his strength so far as to 
enable him to travel some of the way to Schenec- 
tady on foot ; and again taking his water-carriage, he 
arrived on the 4th of September at Johnstown, to 
welcome his son, Sir John, who had just arrived from 
England. The popularity of Saratoga Springs as a 
watering-place may be said to date from this visit. 
** My dear Schuyler," writes the Baronet upon his 
return, to his intimate friend. General Philip Schuy- 
ler, *' I have just returned from a visit to a most 
amazing Spring, which almost effected my cure ; and 
I have sent for Dr. Stringer, of New York, to come 
up and analyze it." Hence it was that the fact of so 
distinguished a personage as Sir William having been 
partially restored by the water soon became noised 
through the country, inducing others to make the 

* Baron Dieskau died from the effects of his wounds, received at Lake George, on 
the 8tli day of September, 1767, at Turenne in France. 



SCHUYLER VISITS THE " HIGH ROCK:' I j 

trial. In 1770, a Dr. Constable, who resided at Sche- 
nectady, examined the water at Saratoga, and pro- 
nounced it highly medicinal. In October, 1777, the 
late Major-General Mooers, of Plattsburg, who was 
stationed after Burgoyne's surrender at Palmer- 
town (Wilton), visited the Spring; and in 1783, 
seven years afterwards. Dr. Samuel Tenney, a regi- 
mental surgeon, in camp at Fish Creek, also paid a 
visit to the Spring, and made some interesting and 
judicious remarks on its properties and uses as a 
medicine. In the summer of the same year, Major- 
General Philip Schuyler cut a road ^ through the 
forest from Schuylerville to the High Rock, and 
erected a tent, under which himself and his family 
spent several weeks, using the water. New springs 
were subsequently discovered ; and thenceforth the 
** Springs" became a resort of those who were in 
pursuit of health and pleasure. For many years after 
its discovery, the High Rock continued to be the re- 
sort of people from all sections of the country ; and 
when other springs were found in the neighboring 
village of Ball's Town, in 1770, the chief drive of 
the visitors there was through the woods to the 
" High Rock Spring."f The accommodations, how- 



* This road went from the Upper Village through the Ten Springs ; thence easterly 
on the sandy ridge north of the "Bear Swamp" to Scidmore's Tavern; md from 
Scidmore's (now Birch's) to the " Slocum Place" (Lockro's), and thence along Fish 
Creek direct to Grangerville and Schuylerville on the Hudson River. 

+ For an exhaustive account of the " High Rock," its geology, etc., the reader is 
referred to A Concise History of the High Rock Spring, by Henry McGuire, 



12 RHMINJSCIiNCHa OI' SARATOGA, 



ever, for a lonj; time conlinncd to l)c ol llu- ino.i 
primitive character. " I'hese waters," writes Elkaii.ili 
Watson, in visiting; Ww " llif'.li Rock" in 1790, "are 
situated in a niarsli, partially enveloped by sli{.;lit 
eminences, alonj; tlic margin <»( wliicli the road 
winds. I'liere is no C(inveniencc for bathing, except 
an open log-hut, with a large trough, similar to tliosc 
in use for feeding swine, which receives the water 
from the Spring. Into this yon roll from off a 
bench." 



Albany, C. Vnn Henthiiysen A Sons, 1868. 'rhi<s work also contains the adrlrcwes 
of etiaiicrllor Wnlwortli »m(I \\\r uiillior Hi tlie Centennial Celebration of ihr liich 
Kock Spring in itiOO. 



CIIAl^TKR IT. 

Visii of Gnu'ral IVas/it nation ^ Ale. winder lliunilloti^ and 
Gviwrnor Gcori^c CUnton to Ihr Hi\:^h l\oik in i7«^3' 

" Can Freedom find no clutinpion iind no cliild 
Sucli as Coliitnl>i:i .saw iirist-, when nlic 
Sprang forlli u I'allan, nrin'd and inidrdrd f 
Or must swell minds lie noiiriHli'd in llir wild, 
Deep in tlic iinpinti'd forest, 'inidHt (Ik- lour 
Of (.atiuacts, wluTc nursing Nature smil'il 
On infant Wasliinj;l()n } I Ian l''.arlli no more 
Such seeds within licr hrcaikt, or Knropc no mich ftliore?" 

Uykdn. 

'"T^llI''. year 1783 was a memorable one in the liis- 
-^ tory of Saratoga Springs. In that year, (General 
Philip Schuyler, as mentioned in tiie preceding chap- 
ter, cut a road through the woods to the "High 
Rock"; and in the same summer, no less a [)ersonagc 
than General Washington, accompanied by his aides, 
Alexander Hamilton and Governor George Clinton, 
honored it with his presence. The circumstances 
which led to this visit are casually hinted at in the 
following passage from Irving's Wnshinglon. Mr 
Irving says : 

"Washington now (1783) found his position at 
Headquarters (Newburg) irksome ; there was little 
to do, and he was likely to be incessantly teased with 
applications and demands, wliich he had neither the 

«3 



14 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



means nor power to satisfy. He resolved, therefore, 
to while away part of the time that must intervene 
before the arrival of the definitive treaty by making 
a tour to the northern and western parts of the State, 
and visiting the places which had been the theatre of 
important military transactions. He had another 
object in view : he desired to facilitate, as far as in 
his power, the operations which would be necessary 
for occupying, as soon as evacuated by British troops, 
the posts ceded by the Treaty of Peace. 

*' Governor Clinton accompanied him on the expe- 
dition. They set out by water from Newburg, 
ascended the Hudson to Albany, visited Saratoga 
[Schuylerville] and the scene of Burgoyne's surren- 
der ; embarked on Lake George, where light boats 
had been provided for them ; traversed that beautiful 
lake, so full of historic interest ; proceeded to Ticon- 
deroga and Crown Point ; and, after reconnoitring 
those eventful posts, returned to Schenectady." * 

On their return route, the party, which included, 
besides Clinton, Alexander Hamilton and Colonels 
Humphreys and Fish, visited the High Rock Spring 
— their attention having been directed to it by Gen- 
eral Schuyler while quests at the latter's house at 
Schuylerville. f Thence they left on horseback for 

* Griswold, in his Republican Cotirt, page 135, states that " Washington and Clinton 
at one time thought of purchasing the Mineral Spnngs at Saratoga." This may 
have also been another reason for the visit — though Griswold gives no authority for 
his statement. 

t While at the High Rock, the party tarried with the son of Samuel Norton. 



WASHINGTON AND TOM CONNER. 1 5 

Schenectady, with the intention of visiting on their 
; route the newly-discovered Spring at Ballston Spa — - 
afterwards known as the *' Iron Railing Spring " — and 
of dining with General Gordon, who, at that time, 
lived upon the ** Middle Line Road." 

On their route through the woods between the two 
Springs, they struck the path leading west by Mer- 
rick's Mills (now Factory Village) to the ** Middle 
Line Road," and continued west toward that road, 
thus losing their way. Near Merrick's lived one 
** Tom " Conner, who was chopping wood at his 
cabin door. They enquired of him the way to the 
Spring, and " Tom " gave the requisite directions. 
The party accordingly retraced their steps a short 
distance upon the road by which they had come, but, 
soon becoming bewildered, rode back for more ex- 
plicit directions. " Tom " had, by this time, lost his 
temper, and peevishly cried out to the spokesman of 
the party — who happened to be Washington — " I tell 
you, turn back and take the first right-hand path into 
the woods, and then stick to it — any darned fool 
would know the way ! " When "• Tom " afterwards 
learned that he had addressed Washington himself 
in this unceremonious and uncivil manner, he was 
extremely chagrined and mortified. His neighbors, 
for a long time afterwards, tormented poor '' Tom " 
on his " reception of General Washington " ! * 

* The spot where Conner was chopping wood at the time of this encounter was 
two miles from Ballston, a little west of north, or about a half a mile north of Blood- 



1 6 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 

The party, following ** Tom's " instructions, found 
the Spring, then flowing through a barrel, and in the 
midst of a dense forest. From the Spring, Washing- 
ton and his companions proceeded to General Gor- 
don's, where they dined. Toward nightfall, they 
parted from that General with many expressions of 
regret, and left for Schenectady, General Gordon, 
attired in full regimentals, escorting them and riding 
upon General Washington's right. As the party moved 
off, James Scott, the father of the Hon. G. G. Scott 
of Ballston, then in his tenth year, boy-like, secreted 
himself behind a rail-fence by the roadside, and 
peeped through the rails. He ever afterwards retained 
a vivid recollection of Washington's physiognomy 
and appearance on horseback. 

The next year, 1784, another distinguished visitor 
came to the High Rock, brought there, undoubtedly, 
by the advice of Washington. This was Colonel Otho 
H. Williams, who, in a letter to the latter, thus 
gives an account of his visit, as well as a description 
of the " High Rock Spring" itself: 

LETTER FROM COLONEL OTHO H. WILLIAMS TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.* 

Baltimore, July 12, 1784. 
Dear Sir : After I had the pleasure of seeing you in Philadel- 
phia, I made an excursion to New York, and from there up the 



ville, on the east and west road through Factory Village, and a little east of the 
bridge crossing the Kayaderosseras Creek. At that time, as now, the most direct 
route from Lake George to Schenectady (via Glenn's Falls) was by Saratoga Springs, 
Ballston, and General Gordon's house 
* Washington's Correspondence^ vol. iv. p. 73. 



VISIT OF COL. O. H. WILLIAMS. 1 7 

North River as far as Saratoga. One motive for extending my tour 
so far that course, was to visit the Springs in the vicinity of Sara- 
toga, which I recollected you once recommended to me as a remedy 
for the rheumatism. They are now frequented by the uncivilized 
people of the back country ; but very few others resort to them, as 
there is but one small hut within several miles of the place. Cor- 
poral Armstrong and myself spent one week there which was equal 
to a little campaign ; for the accommodations were very wretched, 
and provisions exceedingly scarce. The country about the Springs 
being uncultivated, we were forced to send to the borders of the 
Hudson for what was necessary for our subsistence. 

During our stay we made a few little experiments on the waters. 
Bark of a restringent {sic) quality turned them to a purple color 
very suddenly, and we thought that iron was discernible even to the 
taste. They have certainly a very great quantity of salts. A quart 
of the water boiled down produced a spoonful, which, being diluted 
in common water, there remained on the surface a quantity of in- 
sipid, tasteless matter, like chalk, which we collected ; then, pouring 
off the water into a clear vessel, we found remaining at the bottom 
something like slacked lime. The water in which the first produc- 
tion was diluted, being boiled down, produced half a spoonful of 
very acute salt. But that which distinguishes these waters in a very 
conspicuous degree from all others, is the great quantity of fixed 
air which they contain. They are exceedingly pungent to the taste, 
and after being drunk a short time will often affect the nose like 
brisk bottled ale. The water will raise flour sooner than any 
other thing, and cannot be confined so that the air will not, some- 
how or other, escape. Several persons told us that they had corked 
it tight in bottles, and that the bottles broke. We tried it with the 
only bottle we had, which did not break, but the air found its way 
through a wooden stopper and the wax with which it was sealed. 
A trout died in the water in less than a minute, or seemed dead, 
but moved in common water. This experiment was repeated with 
the same effect. We observed in digging that the rocks which are 
about the Springs, and which, in one or two places, project them- 
selves above the earth in a conic form, go not deep into the 



1 8 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



ground, but are formed by the waters, which (the man who lives at 
the place informed us) overflow once per month, when not disturbed, 
and the earthy parts, being exposed to the air and sun, petrify and 
increase. This opinion is strengthened by the shells and bodies of 
insects which we found in broken parts of the rock. 
• •• ••••• 

At Clermont, Mrs. Livingston charged me with a letter for Mrs. 
Washington, and with her most respectful compliments to you, Sir. 
All that amiable family joined in affectionate compliments to you 
and to Mrs. Washington ; and I beg you will permit me to add my 
own I am, etc., 

Otho H. Williams. 



CHAPTER III. 
A Visit to Saratoga Springs and the Battle-Ground in 1789. 

•'There is a charm in footing slow 
Across a silent plain, 
Where patriot battle has been fought. 
Where glory had the gain." 

Keats. 

THE following interesting narrative of a visit to 
the High Rock Spring in 1789, a little more 
than twenty years after Sir William Johnson's visit, 
was taken down from the lips of the visitor, Mrs. 
Dwight, by her son, the late Hon. Theodore Dwight. 
The account of her visit to the Saratoga Battle- 
Ground confirms the statements of Mrs. General 
Riedesel, whose interesting letters have been recently 
translated and given to the public. Nor can this re- 
lation, being among the earliest ones that have thus 
far come under our observation of a visit to Saratoga, 
fail to be of peculiar interest. Before, however, pro- 
ceeding with the immediate narrative, it will be well, 
perhaps, to give a sketch of Mr. Dwight, who, as one 
of the oldest and most respectable habitues of Sara- 
toga, may justly claim a passing notice. 

Theodore Dwight, who came to his death, a few 

10 



20 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

years since, through injuries received from the New 
Jersey Railroad Company, was a nephew of President 
Dwight of Yale College, and a son of the distin- 
guished Hartford editor who was the immediate pre- 
decessor of the late Colonel William L. Stone in the 
editorship of the old Hartford Mirror. Mr. Dwight, 
at the time of his death, was the Secretary of the 
American Ethnological Society — a society of which 
he and the late Albert Gallatin were among the 
founders. He was also the author of a number of 
entertaining works of travel, among which are his 
Tours in Italy, the Northern Traveller, and Summer 
Tours. He was likewise for a long time editor of 
Dwighfs A merican Magazine. 

In figure, as many of the older residents of Sara- 
toga will remember, Mr. Dwight was of medium 
height, and thin, his head somewhat drooping; his 
brow lofty rather than broad, his cheeks pale, his lips 
inclining, even in repose, to a smile. Heart-seated 
benevolence and constitutional serenity of mind were 
the qualities most conspicuous in his face. His eye 
was bright ; and while his physical frame indicated 
somewhat his age, yet his mental energies and feel- 
ings had all the freshness of youth. ''Although 
seventy years of age," he remarked to us a few days 
before his decease, " yet I feel as if I were not thirty." 
He had also, at all times, an air of perfect simplicity, 
and his presence was constantly invested with a charm 
which the most dignified old age, with all the sanctity 



THEODORE D WIGHT. 21 

and veneration that rightfully belongs to it, often 
fails to awaken. 

In the death of Mr. Dvvight the present genera- 
tion lost another of those links that bind them to the 
days of the Fathers, In Mr. Dwight's presence, this 
was felt to be peculiarly the case ; and no one could 
spend an hour with him in pleasant, social converse 
respecting the early days of the Republic without 
feeling the charm of those days come back on him 
with irresistible force. For many years it had been 
his custom to travel over all the prominent spots in 
this country that have been ** dignified by wisdom, 
bravery, or virtue," taking down in his memorandum- 
book the early historical incidents of the Revolution 
from the lips of the actors themselves, and with his 
pencil sketching all points and places of interest. 
He it was that in 1820 brought Saratoga Springs 
into extensive notice by the first real guide-book of 
the United States that had ever been published. In 
this way he had accumulated nearly a hundred of 
these MS. journals, filled with the most interesting 
reminiscences of our early history, which, but for this 
custom, would have been irretrievably lost. 

Having thus endeavored to pay a proper tribute to 
the memory of one of the earliest visitors to Sara- 
toga, I proceed with Mrs. Dwight's narrative. Two 
things will be observed, however, in her story — 
first, that the HiGH RoCK was at that time called the 
Round Rock ; and, secondly, that those who assert 



22 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

that the water never flowed out of the top of the 
rock subsequent to the Revolution are in error. 

Narrative of Mrs. Dwight, 

*' Our party originally consisted of five, three gen- 
tlemen and two ladies, who travelled with two gigs 
(then called chairs) and a saddle-horse. From Hart- ' 
ford, where I resided, and where the party was made 
up, our party proceeded westward, and some idea of 
the fashions may be formed from the dress of one of 
the ladies, who wore a black beaver with a sugar-loaf 
crown eight or nine inches high, called a steeple 
crown, wound round with black and red tassels, being 
less showy than the gold cord sometimes worn. 
Habits having gone out of fashion, the dress was of 
London smoke broadcloth, buttoned down in front, 
and at the side with twenty-four gilt buttons, about 
the size of a half-dollar. Large waists and stays 
were in fashion, and the shoes were extremely sharp- 
toed and high-heeled, ornamented with large paste 
buckles on the instep. At a tavern where we spent 
the first night, we ladies were obliged to surround 
ourselves with a barrier of bean-leaves to keep off 
the bugs which infested the place ; but this afforded 
only temporary benefit, as the vermin soon crept to 
the ceiling and fell upon us from above. The green 
woods, through which the road lay for many miles, 
were very rough, and in many places could not be 
travelled without danger. We scarcely met anybody 



A GAV CAVALIER. 23 



on this part of the way, except an old man with a 
ilong, white beard, who looked like a palmer on a pil- 
grimage to the Holy Land ; and his wife — who rode 
a horse on a saddle with a projecting pommel, and a 
single chain for a bridle — was as ugly as one of 
Shakspere's old crones. The few habitations to be 
seen were so uninviting that we generally took our 
meals in some pleasant spot under the trees, the 
recollection of which is pleasant even to this day. 
After three days we reached Hudson, where a gentle- 
man who had come to attend a ball joined our party, 
sending a message home for clothes ; and, although 
he did not receive them, and had only his dancing 
dress, persisted in proceeding with us. He mounted 
his horse, therefore, in a suit of white broadcloth, 
with powdered hair, small-clothes, and white silk 
stockings. While at Hudson it was determined to 
go directly to Saratoga, the efficacy of the water 
being much celebrated, as well as the curious round 
and hollow rock from which it flowed. Hudson was 
a flourishing village, although it had been settled but 
about seven years, by people from Nantucket and 
Rhode Island. 

" In the afternoon, the prospect of a storm made 
us hasten our gait, and we tarried over- night at an old 
Dutch house, which, notwithstanding the uncouth 
aspect of a fire-place without jambs, was a welcome 
retreat from the weather. Early in the morning we 
proceeded, and reached Albany at breakfast-time. 



24 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

The old Dutch church, with its pointed roof and 
great window of painted glass, stood at that time at 
the foot of State Street. 

** At Troy, where we took tea, there were only a 
dozen houses, the place having been settled only 
three years before by people from Killingworth, Say- 
brook, and other towns in Connecticut. Lansingburg 
was an older and more considerable town, containing 
more than a hundred houses, and inhabited princi- 
pally by emigrants from the same State. The tavern 
was a very good one, but the inhabitants were so 
hospitable to our party that the time was spent 
almost entirely at private houses. After a delay of 
two nights and a day v/e proceeded on our journey. 
Crossing the Hudson to Waterford by a ferry, we 
went back as far as the Mohawk to see the Cohoes 
Falls, of which we had a fine view from the northern 
bank, riding along the brow of the precipice in going 
and returning. 

'* On the road to the Mohawk we met a party of 
some of the most respectable citizens of Albany — 
among whom was the Patroon Van Rensselaer — in a 
common country wagon without a cover, with straw 
under their feet and with wooden chairs for seats. 
Two gentlemen on horseback, in their company, find- 
ing that we were going to Saratoga, offered to accom- 
pany us to the scene of the Battle of Behmus Heights, 
and thither we proceeded after visiting Cohoes. 

* We dined in the house which was General Bur- 



FUNERAL OF GENERAL FRAZER. 2$ 

t^ — . 

goyne's headquarters in 1777; and one of the females 
who attended us was there during the battle.* She 
informed us of many particulars, and showed us a 
spot upon the floor which was stained with the blood 
of General Frazer, who, she added, when brought in 
mortally wounded from the field, was laid upon the 
very table at which we were seated. During the fun- 
eral, she also stated, the American troops, who had 
got into the rear of the British on the opposite side 
of the river, and had been firing over the house, on 
discovering the cause of the procession up the steep 
hill, where Frazer had requested to be interred, not 
only ceased firing, but played a dead march in com- 
pliment to his memory. 

'' On leaving the battle-ground for Saratoga Lake, 
our party was reduced to four by the loss of four 
gentlemen, two of whom, however, intended to over- 
take us, if possible, before night. The country we 
had to pass over, after leaving the Hudson, was very 
uninviting, and almost uninhabited. The road lay 
through a forest, and was formed of logs. [This was 
undoubtedly the road cut through from Schuylerville, 
by General Schuyler, in 1783, mention of which is 



* A mistake which Lossing and Neilson also fall into. Burgoyne's headquarters 
was on the high ground, the present (1875) farm of Mr. Wilbur. See Stone's transla- 
tion of the Lz'ye and Military Jotirnals of Major-General Riedesel. 

The house mentioned by Mrs. Dwight, known, formerly, as the " Taylor House," 
and since as the ' " Smith House," stood until 1864. The site is now (1875) marked by a 
few of the foundation-stones and a small poplar-tree. In this connection, see Silli* 
viands Tour for his reflections on the battle while staying over-night in this house. 



26 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

made in the first chapter.*] We travelled till late in 
the afternoon before we reached a house, to which 
we had been directed for our lodging. It stood in a 
solitary place in an opening of the dark forest, and 
had so comfortless an appearance that, without 
approaching to take a near view, or alighting, we 
determined to proceed farther. [Probably the site 
of the ' Old Potter Tavern,' now Birch's.] 

'* It was a wretched log-hut with only one door, 
which had never been on hinges ; was to be lifted by 
every person coming in or going out, and had no 
fastening except a few nails. We halted at the sight 
of it ; and one of the gentlemen rode up to take a 
nearer view. Standing up in his saddle, he peeped 
into a square hole which served as a window, but had 
no glass or shutter, and found the floor the bare 
earth, with scarcely any furniture to be seen. Noth- 
ing remained for us but to proceed and make our 
way to the Spring as fast as possible, for we knew of 
no human habitation nearer ; and when or how we 
might hope to reach there we could not tell. We 
were for a time extremely dispirited, until the gen- 
tleman who had joined us at Hudson came forward 



♦ The old Schuylerville Road did not, at this period, go up the hill by the " Thorn 
Place," as now, but, following the creek farther than at present, went direct to the 
" Slocum Place" (Lockro's), thence to the "Force Place," a few rods west of the 
" Potter Place," where, within the memory of those now living, a tavern stood built 
of logs and hewn timber. Squire Force (father of the late Mrs. Terhune of North- 
umberland) kept the tavern at this time, and was a prominent man in the neighbor- 
hood. Old residents yet remember traces of the " Old Road." 



LOST IN THE FOREST. 2/ 

(still in his ball dress) and endeavored to encourage 
us, saying that if we would but trust to his guidance 
he doubted not that he should be able to conduct us 
safely and speedily to a more comfortable habitation. 
'* This raised our hopes, and we followed him 
cheerfully, though the day was now at its close, and 
the forest seemed thicker and darker than before. 
When the last light at length had disappeared, and 
we found ourselves in the deepest gloom, our guide 
confessed that he had encouraged us to keep us from 
despair, and as to any knowledge of the road, he had 
never been there before in his life. He, however, 
dismounted, tied his horse behind our chair, and 
taking the bridle of our own began to lead him on, 
groping his way as well as he was able, stepping into 
one mud-hole after another without regard to his silk 
stockings, sometimes up to his beauish knee-buckles. 
It seemed as if we were going for a long time down 
a steep hill into some bottomless pit [probably one 
of the large sand-knolls south of the ' Potter Place '], 
and every few minutes one wheel would pass over a 
log or stump so high as almost to overset us. At 
length we insisted on stopping, and spent a quarter 
of an hour in anxiety and doubt, being unable to 
determine what we had better do. We had heard 
the voices of animals in the woods, which some of us 
feared might attack us. At length, one of the gen- 
tlemen declared that a sound which we had heard 
for some time at a distance could not be the howl of 



28 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



a wolf, for which we had taken it, but must be the 
barking of a wolf-dog, and indicated that the habita- 
tion of his master was not very far off, proposing, at 
the same time, to go in search of it. The gentlemen 
were unwilling to leave us alone, but we insisted that 
they might need each other's assistance, and made 
them go together. But it was a long time before we 
heard from them again. How long they were gone I 
do not know, for we soon became impatient and 
alarmed, but at length we discovered a light among 
the trees, which, shining upon the trunks and boughs, 
made a beautiful vista, like an endless Gothic arch, 
and showed a thousand tall columns on both sides. 
We then discovered them returning accompanied by 
two men, who led us off the road, and stuck up 
lighted pine-knots to guide our friends. Under their 
guidance we found our way to a log-house, containing 
but one room, and destitute of everything except 
hospitable inhabitants, so that, although we were 
admitted, we found we should be obliged to make 
such arrangements as we could for sleeping. There 
was no lamp or candle — light being supplied by pine- 
knots stuck in the crevices of the walls. The conver- 
sation of the family proved that wild beasts were very 
numerous and bold in the surrounding forest, and 
that they sometimes, when hungry, approached the 
house ; and there was a large aperture left at the 
bottom of the door to admit the dogs when in 
danger from the wolves. The floor extended on one 



A NIGHT ALARM. 29 

side only to within the distance of several feet of the 
wall — a space being left to kindle the fire upon the 
bare ground ; and when we wanted tea made, the 
mistress of the house could produce only one kettle, 
in which water was boiled for washing and every 
other purpose. She had heard of tea-kettles, but 
had never seen one, and was impressed with an idea 
of the usefulness of such an utensil. When we had 
spread the table out of our own stores, and divided 
tea-cups and saucers, a porringer, etc., among us, we 
seated ourselves partly on the bedstead and partly 
on a kind of arm-chair which was formed by an old 
round table when raised perpendicularly, and thus 
partook of our meal. 

'* We were, however, suddenly alarmed by cries or 
screams at a little distance in the forest, which some 
of us supposed to be those of wolves or bears. Our 
host, after listening a while, declared that they were 
the cries of some travellers who had lost their way, 
and proceeded with the gentlemen to search for 
them. They found, sure enough, our two expected 
friends, who had followed the path lighted by the 
torches, but unfortunately had wandered from it a 
little, and soon found before them a wall too high 
to reach from their stirrups. They attempted to 
retreat, but found it also behind them ; and though 
they rode round and round, feeling for a place of 
exit, could find none, and then began to call for 
assistance, hoping that some dwelling might be 



30 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

within the reach of their voices. Being happily re- 
lieved and restored to us, the adventures of the 
evening served as a subject of pleasantry. They had 
unconsciously entered a pound or pen for bears, by 
a very narrow entrance, which in the darkness they 
could not find again, and thus their embarrassment 
and predicament were fully explained. We slept 
that night on our luggage and saddles ; but our hos- 
pitable host refused all reward in the morning. 

" On reaching the Springs at Saratoga, we found 
but three habitations, and those but poor log-houses* 
on the high bank of the meadow, where is now the 
eastern side of the street on the ridge near the Round 
Rock. This was the only Spring then visited. The 
log-cabins were almost full of strangers, among whom 
were several ladies and gentlemen from Albany ; and 
we found it almost impossible to obtain accommoda- 
tions even for two nights. We found the Round 
Rock at that time entire ; the large tree, which two 
or three years after fell and cracked a fissure in it, 
being then standing near, and the water, which occa- 
sionally overflowed and increased the rock by its de- 
posits, keeping the general level five or six inches 
below the top. The neighborhood of the Spring, like 
all the country we had seen for many miles, was a 
perfect forest ; and there were no habitations to be 



♦These log-cabins — one of which in winter served the purpose of a blacksmith's 
shop and another a school-house — were owned and in part occupied by Alexander 
Bryan, the grandfather of the well-known lawyer, John A. Bryan, of New York City. 



DESCRIPTION OF BALLSTON. 3 1 

seen in all the vicinity, except the three log-houses 
which afforded us little more than a shelter. We 
arrived on Saturday, and left there on Monday morn- 
ing for Ball's Town [Ballston], which we reached after 
a short ride. But there the accommodations for visi- 
tors were still less inviting. The springs, of which 
there were several, were entirely unprotected, on the 
borders of a woody swamp and near a brook in which 
we saw bubbles rising in several places, which indi- 
cated other springs. There was a small hovel into 
which some of the water was conducted for bathing, 
but, as there was nothing like comfort to be found, 
we proceeded homeward, after spending a short time 
at the place." 

Such is a brief account of a journey made to Sara- 
toga Springs in the latter part of the last century. 
Yet, how difficult it is for the fair pilgrims who yearly 
come to this shrine to realize that the stupendous 
changes which have since occurred can have taken 
place within the memory of those still among iis ! 
And yet, where do we look in the United States 
without finding evidence of similar, if not equal, 
alterations, often effected in a shorter period? 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Escape of Amos Stafford fr 0771 the Wyoming Massacre to 

Saratoga. 

" And Summer was the tide and sweet the hour 
When sire and daughter saw, with fleet descent, 
An Indian from his bark approach their bower, 
Of buskin'd limb, and swarthy lineament." 

Campbell's Gertrude of Wyoming, 

AMOS STAFFORD, the father of the late Amos 
Stafford, of *' Stafford's Bridge," and one of 
the earliest settlers in the town of Saratoga Springs, 
was the son of Steutly Stafford, of Rhode Island, 
who served as Lieutenant in the old French war, com- 
ing home, at its close, to die of small-pox contracted 
in the army. Thus deprived of his protector in early 
boyhood, Amos was sent to his uncle, John Stafford, 
of Wyoming, Penn. Mr. John Stafford (the great- 
grandfather of John T. Carr) was a great hunter, and 
the wild woods had more attractions for him than 
the old settled country at the East. Indeed, he 
could live anywhere in the Susquehanna mountains 
by the aid of his rifle and hunting-knife. When his 
nephew reached him, the disputes between the New 
England and Pennsylvania settlers had ripened into 
open warfare. Mr. Stafford, however, was a peaceful 

32 



THE WYOMING SETTLEMENT. 33 

man, and did not enter into the war. By thrift and 
industry he accumulated considerable property, so 
that, upon the breaking out of the Revolution, he 
was among the most respected and prosperous far- 
mers of the Susquehanna Valley. 

From that moment, however, the extended fron- 
tiers of the colonies, reaching from Lake Champlain 
around the northwest and south to the Floridas, were 
harassed by the savage foe. There was a conven- 
tional understanding between the General Government 
and the people of Wyoming that the regular troops 
enlisted among them should be stationed there for 
the defence of the valley ; but the exigencies of the 
service required their action elsewhere, and the only 
means of defence consisted of militia-men, upon 
whom devolved the duty both of cultivating the land \ 
and of exploring the thickets, in order to guard 
against surprise from the wily Indians and their yet 
more vindictive Tory allies. The little stockaded 
defences yclept " forts," moreover, had no artillery 
save a single four-pounder, kept at Wilkesbarre as an 
alarm-gun. Thus weakened by the absence of its 
most efficient men and material, Wyoming presented 
a point of attack too favorable to escape the atten- 
tion of the British and Indian commanders in the 
country of the Six Nations and in Canada. Under 
these circumstances, the ever-memorable expedition 
of Col. John Butler, with his own Tory Rangers, a 
detachment of Sir John Johnson's Royal Greens, and 



34 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

a large body of Indians, was undertaken against 
Wyoming in the summer of 1778, and, alas ! was but 
too successful. 

This is not the place for dwelling either on the 
details of this expedition or on the frightful massacre 
that followed the attack of the Indians, in which 
more than three hundred men, women, and children 
were literally butchered in cold blood. Our task is 
to follow one of those who fortunately escaped. 
This was Amos Stafford, the nephew of John Stafford, 
who, although a patriot in feeling, yet, on account of 
his advanced age, was removed from the valley and 
placed among the non-combatants. 

During the battle, Amos Stafford, then a youth of 
nineteen, made one of a reserve of riflemen, who, how- 
ever, did not participate actively in the engagement. 
Just before the fate of the day was decided, the third 
man from him fell — then the second — then the next 
to him. Watching for an explanation of this mystery, 
he observed, when the last of his three companions 
fell, a whiff of smoke risinsf from behind a \o^. An 
Indian was picking off the reserve ! Accordingly, the 
next time that a head peered above the log he sent a 
bullet through it, and the danger from that quarter 
was at an end. Soon after, the order was given to 
retreat. Stafford waited to reload his rifle, and then 
ran to a neighboring wheat-field, where he hoped to 
lie concealed until, under the friendly mantle of night, 
he could make good his escape. In this, however, he 



PURSUED BY INDIANS. 35 

was disappointed ; for the Indians suddenly stumbling 
upon him, he was forced to jump up and again fly. 
He expected to be shot dead, but such was the con- 
fusion of the Indians at this unexpected apparition, 
that he had time to bound away like a wild deer and 
put several feet between himself and the savages 
before they had recovered from their astonishment. 
Glancing his eye over his shoulder, he found himself 
closely pursued by an Indian with raised tomahawk. 
Too near to turn and fire, he could only trust to his 
fleetness of foot (in which he excelled) to gain on his 
pursuer sufficiently to use his rifle. The opportunity 
soon came. A brush fence stood in his path. This 
he leaped at a bound, wheeled, and, when the Indian, 
standing on the top of the fence, presented a fair 
target, he fired and killed him. Then, throwing his 
rifle into the rushes, he plunged into the river, and 
amid a shower of bullets sent after him by the rest of 
his pursuers, who had now come up, but which he 
avoided by diving, he struck out boldly for the oppo- 
site shore. When in the middle of the stream, he 
perceived that another savage was following him in 
the water. His first impulse was to turn and drown 
him by diving and catching him by the feet — a feat 
which he jocularly called playing '' leap-frog " — but 
observing that his opponent carried a spear, he gave 
up this design, and gained the shore. Here picking 
up some stones, he waded back into the river prepared 
to give his foe a warm reception. The latter, how- 



56 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

ever, fearing to ''measure swords" with such an 
adversary, turned and swam back. Running a few 
rods up the river behind a ridge which concealed him j 
from sight, he sank down into a marshy spring. 
While thus hidden, an Indian came up to where he 
lay, but, the water which he had at first roiled 
having meanwhile become clear, the savage, not 
dreaming of his proximity, passed on his way and 
left him unharmed. During the first night of his 
concealment, he heard the cries and shrieks of the 
garrison of Fort Forty, on the opposite shore, who 
were being massacred after having accepted quarter — 
the painfulness of the scene being increased by the 
sight of the bodies of one or more of his neighbors 
which had been thrown upon the burning pile — 

" By the smoke of their ashes to poison the gale." 

It was a night of terror ; for he heard 

" Sounds that mingled laugh, and shout, and scream, 
To freeze the blood in one discordant jar. 
Whoop after whoop with rack the ear assailed, 
As if unearthly fiends had burst their bar ; 
While rapidly the marksman's shot prev^ailed ; 
And aye, as if for death, some lonely trumpet wailed ! " 

The second and third nights found him ensconced 
in the hollow trunk of a fallen tree. The woods were 
alive with the savages ; and once, while thus con- 
cealed, two or three Indians came along and seated 
themselves upon the log in consultation. He heard 



SAVED BY A SPIDER. 



37 



the bullets rattle loosely in their pouches. They 
actually looked into the hollow trunk, suspecting he 
might be there ; but the examination must have been 
slight, as they discovered no traces of his presence. 
The object of their search, however, in after-life, 
attributed his escape to the labors of a busy spider, 
which, after he crawled into the log, had been indus- 
triously engaged in weaving a web over the entrance. 
Perceiving this, the savages supposed, as a matter of 
course, that the fugitive could not have entered 
there. Thus a second time was he almost miracu- 
lously preserved. 

After remaining in his place of concealment as 
long as nature could endure the confinement — three 
days without food, destitute of clothing (for he had 
stripped himself while swimming the river), and 
'chilled to the marrow, although the 6th of July — 
Stafford crept forth, resolved to give himself up to 
the first persons he should meet. These happened 
to be a party of Tories, painted and disguised as In- 
dians. Deceived by the plausible story told them by 
Stafford, and which was soon after confirmed by a 
Tory friend of his who had deserted to the enemy 
before the battle, and who now upon seeing him ex- 
claimed, '' God bless you, Amos ! how came you here 
stark naked?" his captors offered him protection, 
and supplied him with clothing from their knapsacks. 
Food, consisting of milk diluted with water, was next 
administered to him at the house of the mother of 



2$ REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



the celebrated Frances Slocum who was carried into 
captivity by the Delaware Indians.* Thus refreshed, 
he turned his thoughts toward escaping. This he 
effected the second night of his capture, under cover 
of the darkness and a terrific thunder-storm ; and, 
tarrying on the way only to bid farewell to his uncle, 
he arrived the following morning, without further 
adventure, at the American camp, and was the first 
one to bring tidings of the defeat and massacre at 
Wyoming. At first the commanding officer refused 
to credit his statement, at which Stafford was deeply 
hurt, remarking that " he thought it rather hard, 
after all he had suffered, to have his word doubted." 
When, however, the General heard his story, told 
with so much feeling and earnestness, he believed 
him even before the official despatches confirmed it 
in all particulars. Soon after, his term of enlistment 
having expired, he removed to Dutchess County, 
New York, and married Sarah Wagman, a daughter 
of Henry Wagman, of '' Nine Partners. "f 

IVfr. Stafford now looked around for some place 
where he could settle permanently. The passage of 



* Giles Slocum, the brother of Frances, afterwards settled near Mr. Stafford, in the 
vicinity of Fish Creek — the old homestead, which he built, being yet known as the 
" Slocum Place." (See chapter upon Mrs. Dwight's visit.) He was the grandfather 
of James Cluth Brisbin, of Old Saratoga. The mother of Frances Slocum once called 
upon Mr. Stafford, while on a visit to her son, and spoke frequently of the great sor- 
row of her life. 

t Subsequently, the entire Wagman family removed to Saratoga, on to the place still 
called the " V\'agman Farm." 



SETTLES ON FISH CREEK. 39 

Burgoyne's army down the Valley of the Hudson to 
the Heights of Saratoga, and the subsequent muster- 
ing of the yeomanry from the different colonies to 
intercept its progress, had brought the country around 
Lake Saratoga into public notice ; nor was it long 
before Mr. Stafford, hearing exaggerated reports of 
the productiveness of the land in that vicinity, came 
with his wife and two children to Saratoga, and 
settled near the Lake on that which is now known as 
the ''French Farm."* A younger brother of Mr. 
Stafford — Samuel, who had also served in the war — 
accompanied him, and settled in the neighborhood, 
owning and living, in fact, on what is now known as 
the " Ramsdell Farm." He afterward removed to 
Canada, attracted by the liberal offers made to set- 
tlers by the British Government. The date of Mr. 
Stafford's immigration to Saratoga was 1783 ; and for 
many years afterward he was obliged to come to the 
" Springs " on horseback, along a narrow foot-path. 
Mr. Stafford remained on his first location seven 
years, when he moved to Fish Creek, and settled on 
the land, which yet retains the name of the " Stafford 
Farm." The house which is still standing, although 



* Mr. Stafford was not the only one who avaUsd himself of these reports to settle in 
this section of the country. Even some of the enemy did the same. There is yet 
standing, near Jno. B. Haskin's place on Friend's Lake, at Chester, Warren County, 
New York, the cabin of a deserter from Burgoyne's army, who settled there in 1777. The 
cabin was built in 17S3, as the figures cut into the stone lintel attest. Mr. Charles H. 
Fixoti, of Chester — a gentleman whose patriotic tastes are well known — did his best 
to have this cabin bought for tne State and preserved as an heirloom for the county. 



40 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



enlarged in 1810, is the same one which Mr. Stafford 
built in 1797, and was for a long period, before the 
division of the town, the central point where the 
town business was transacted. 

At the time of Mr. Stafford's coming to Saratoga, 
the country, it is perhaps needless to say, was a com- 
plete wilderness, and so infested with wolves that the 
keeping of sheep was almost impossible. Accord- 
ingly, large bounties were offered for the destruction 
of the former, amounting (inclusive of state, county, 
and town bounties) to sixty 6.Q)\\2,x?> per capita. But 
this very fact was of advantage to Mr. Stafford ; for, 
being skilled in the use of the rifle, he was enabled 
eventually to pay for a large portion of his farm 
(some thirteen hundred acres) with the bounty he re- 
ceived on the wolves that he shot in its vicinity — 
receiving, indeed, in one winter alone the handsome 
sum of five hundred dollars. The veritable rifle with 
which this feat was accomplished I was allovv'^ed, 
through the kindness of his son, to use in my first 
deer-hunt in the Adirondacks. It is now, I believe, 
in the possession of his grandson. Professor Amos 
Stafford, of Saratoga Springs. 

Mr. Stafford, also, learned to imitate the cry of the 
wolves so accurately, that those animals would answer 
his call. A neighbor, doubting this, rode out with 
him one day to test the question. Soon, in answer 
to Mr. Stafford's cry, a reply was heard, and a big, 
shaggy wolf raised its head over a log not far distant. 



A WOLF TRAPPED. 4 1 



The doubter ''stood not on the order of his going," 
but, springing upon his horse, " went at once." Again, 
on another occasion, Mr. StafYbrd was awakened at 
midnight by the barking of his hounds. Seizing a 
fowHng-piece, he rammed down a ball and rushed 
outside, where he saw by the moonlight, and in a 
field near the house, a huge wolf which had been fre- 
quently seen but hitherto had eluded pursuit. The 
ball, in the haste of loading, not having been '* sent 
home," burst the gun in its discharge, and the wolf 
escaped. He afterwards, however, caught it in a trap. 
This was a cause of great rejoicing, since the wolf, 
which was as big as a yearling calf, had committed 
great havoc among the sheep. Nor were wolves the 
only wild animals that were troublesome. When Mr. 
Stafford " camped out," he invariably kept a fire 
burning to guard against panthers, and was even 
compelled to take this precautionary measure Avhen 
merely setting his wolf-traps. Mrs. Stafford, also, 
had her share of annoyances. On first settling in 
Saratoga, she suffered greatly from the howling of 
the wolves at night and from fear of the Indians, 
bands of whom were continually hovering around. 
One night, in particular, she was aroused from sleep 
by the crackling of a fire on the hearth, in front of 
which stood a stalwart savage coolly baking a corn- 
cake he had just prepared ! Mrs. Stafford quietly 
awakened her husband, who, seizing the rifle that 
always hung at the head of his bed, demanded 



42 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

" What he was doing there?" The Indian, who was 
recognized as one that had been lately seen prowling 
about the neighborhood, at once slunk away, mut- 
tering as he went. 

But Mr. Stafford's visits from Indians were not 
always of this informal character. He was once the 
recipient of a call from the celebrated Mohawk chief- 
tain, Joseph Brant [Tha-yen-da-ne-ged), who was en- 
deavoring to ascertain a point along Fish Creek 
where, as he asserted, some treasure had been hidden 
during the Revolution. In the course of the evening 
spent with Mr. Stafford, he stated that the clearing-up 
of the country had so changed the " appearance of 
things" that he could not describe the exact spot, 
though his host gathered from his description that it 
must have been opposite the site of the Avery Lake 
House. He also enquired particularly where the first 
house had stood, remarking that " he was com- 
pletely lost."* Whether, however, he succeeded in 
finding the object of his search never transpired. f 

♦This "first house" for which Brant enquired, and which was burned during the 
Revolution, stood south of the Stafford barn-yard, near the banks of Fish Creek. Up 
to within a few years the remains of the chimneys were still visible. Indian arrow- 
heads and stone pestles are often found on the place. 

At the time of Mrs. Stafford's coming to Saratoga, there were plenty of herring in 
the Creek, as well as great quantities of pigeons on its banks ; so that Mrs. S. used 
frequently to remark that it seemed as if they were sent by Providence for the benefit 
of the settlers. {^Letter from Mrs. Gerrit G. Lansing; of Hal/ Moon^ Nexu Yorky 
to her niecc^ Mrs. Mary Stafford Rouse^ of Bacon Hill., New York.) Mrs. Lan- 
sing is nearly eighty-nine years old, and still in remarkable possession of her faculties. 

t This visit of Brant must have been during one of his trips to Albany, either in 
1802 or 1806. See Stone's Li/e 0/ Brant. 



EARLY ADVENTURES. 43 

Mr. Stafford, like his son, the late Amos Stafford, 
was a man thoroughly practical, of strict integrity, 
and of sterling good sense. It was his intention, had 
he lived, to have drained the Fish Creek marshes 
by dredging and deepening that stream. This he 
thought thoroughly feasible ; and, had his plans been 
fully matured and carried out, the low, malarious 
marshes that now lie along the creek would be fer- 
tile and beautiful meadows. Aided also by Ebene- 
zer Fitch (the father of the late Major Edward 
Fitch), he built the present bridge across Fish Creek, 
which bears his name. It was at that time verv lone, 
extending over the ground occupied by the present 
causeway. Inasmuch, moreover, as his land was 
heavily timbered, he was accustomed to make yearly 
visits to New York City, with rafts of saw-logs, the 
sale of which assisted him in paying for his land and 
procured the necessary supplies for his family. In- 
deed, this custom was the incipient cause of his 
death ; for, hardly had he recovered -from an injury 
received by the falling of a tree upon him, when, in 
jumping from one raft to another, he was precipi- 
tated into the water, the entire raft passing over him. 
From these two accidents he never fully recovered. 

Many were the adventures that befell Mr. Stafford 
in the first settlement of the country, and many have 
been the hours I have listened to his son while he has 
told me stories of his father's and his own early life. 
Of some of these I do not retain a sufficient recollec- 



44 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



tion to venture to state them. One, however, which 
I remember Avell, and which will be of interest to the 
present generation, is the following: 

In the front door-yard of the '* Stafford Farm- 
House" stood a noble poplar, which for many years 
was a landmark of the surrounding country, and the 
cynosure of all eyes as they passed that way. An 
idea of its size may be formed when it is stated that 
some eighteen feet from the ground the trunk had 
been cut away, leaving a space within the tree in 
which Mr. Stafford's grandsons, Amos and Harvey, 
constructed a flooring and seats capable of contain- 
ing fifteen people, A pair of steps conducted to this 
romantic eyrie ; and when once in, through the inter- 
stices of the surrounding foliage a magnificent view 
of the entire Lake, with Fish Creek winding like a 
silver-scaled serpent at the foot, was presented to the 
visitor. For the sake of this enchanting view alone, 
the ride was well worth taking. 

The history of this tree is both curious and interest- 
ing. When Samuel Stafford, the younger brother of 
the late Mr. Stafford, was paying his addresses to the 
lady who afterwards became his wife, and who then 
resided near the present mansion of Mr. Fitch on the 
right bank of Fish Creek, he was in the habit of rid- 
ing over on horseback to see her. One evening, after 
returning home and putting his horse in the barii, and 
while walking to the house, he stuck a twig, which he 
had broken off from a poplar for a riding-whip, into 



A COUNTRY FUNERAL. 



45 



the ground. Some time afterwards, observing that it 
had taken root, he allowed it to grow, until, like the 
" grain of mustard-seed which a man took and sowed 
in his field," it became the tree I have described."^ 

Mr. Stafford, who died in 1813, and his son, the 
late Amos Stafford, are buried in the family grave- 
yard, which lies a few rods east of the house, on a 
gentle knoll of the high plateau that overlooks Fish 
Creek. The latter died in the autumn of 1850; and, 
in company with the late James H. Westcott, I 
! attended the funeral. 

If one wishes to see true respect shown to the 
dead, let him not visit a city interment, where the 
"pomp of power" and the gorgeous trappings of an 
empty pageant either mock real grief, or else serve as 
a flimsy disguise for the seething and tumultuous 
passions that perchance are raging in the breasts of 
the seeming mourners. Rather let him quietly, and 

* In front of the '' Old Martin Tavern" in Corinth, on the Luzerne road, stands an 
enormous tree, the history of which, in one or two features, resembles that of the 
" Stafford poplar." It was planted by Frederick Parkman in iSoi. Mr. Parkman 
had been over in Washington County on horseback, where he cut a stick for a riding- 
whip. When he reached home he said to his wife: " Hannah, I'm going to plant 
this stick in front of the house, and I shall live long enough to see my children get 
up in the branches and read the Gospel from it." Parkman's prophecy was fulfilled. 
The tree grew, till now it is a landmark seen from afar. Mr. James Dewell says he 
has known the tree for sixty years, and thinks it is a species of cotton-wood or pop'ar. 
Sixteen inches from the ground it measures seventeen feet and four inches in cir- 
cumference. Its branches are wide-spreading, covering an area of about one hundred 
feet across. At a point about twelve feet from ths ground are four giant limbs that 
measure not less than six feet in circumference. It is a magnificent specimen, and is 
observed with wonder every season by hundreds who visit the picturesque region in 
which it is situated. 



46 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

by '' lonely contemplation led," make one at a coun- 
try burial. There the number of carriages — unlike 
in the city, where the equipages are limited only by 
the investment of money — is a genuine mark of 
regard. Mr. Stafford was a man universally respected ; 
and, on this occasion, the road for a distance of a 
quarter of a mile, or to the farm-house of John Ham, 
was blocked by vehicles of every description — from 
the field-wagon, with rough board seat and chains on 
which to rest the feet, and drawn by oxen, to the 
handsome chariotee of the wealthy farmer. The 
simple services ended, no hearse with nodding plumes 
and attended by hired mutes in sable garments bore 
him to the grave ; but, carrying out the original and 
real significance of bearers^ the plain coffin, covered 
with a black pall, was borne on the shoulders of 
those who loved its occupant in life from the house 
to its final resting-place. 

" The next, with dirges due, in sad array, 
Slow through the church-yard path we saw him borne." 

The space here consecrated for the repose of the 
family's dead has been thus occupied for more than 
three-quarters of a century. 

" Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife. 
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray ; 
Along the cool, sequester'd vale of life 
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way." 

There is no clustering of houses adjoining this 



THE RETURN HOME. 47 

hallowed spot. There are spreading elms around, 
and one within the enclosure, which is as funereal in 
its appearance as the yew-tree. It is true, as the 
beautiful poet above quoted intimates, that neither 
•• storied urn " nor '* animated bust " can call back 
the ** fleeting breath,'* nor the flattery of inscriptions, 
deserved or undeserved, " soothe the dull, cold ear 
of d.eath," and it is also a sad, a melancholy reflec- 
tion, how very short a period do nearly all the memo- 
rials reared to the memory of the dead by the hand 
of surviving friendship and affection endure ! A 
few, a very few brief years, and the head-stone has 
sunk, the slab is broken, the short column or pyra- 
mid overturned ; yet while they do remain, they 
are often mementos of many interesting incidents 
or endearing recollections. 

Thus my friend, James H. Westcott, and myself 
mused while returning homeward in the gloaming of 
that autumnal afternoon — the wailing of the wind in 
the tall pines of the Bear Swamp and the leaden 
clouds overhead adding not a little to our gloom. 
And yet, alas! a comparatively short time elapsed, 
and he too was numbered with the dead ! * 



* The late Amos Stafford was, it is believed, the first male white child bom in the 
County of Saratoga north of the Kayaderosseras Creek, having been born on the 30th 
day of January, 1789. John A. Waterbury, bom in Greenfield, July 27th of the 
same year, was the second. Henry Stafford — a brother of the late Amos Stafford — 
was for a time in business in Saratoga Springs. In 1S14, he removed, with his familj-, 
to Western New York, and died a few years since at his residence near Dundee, N. Y. 
His wife is still (1875) Uving at an advanced age with her son, Col. H. G. Stafford. 



CHAPTER V. 

Samuel Waterbury : His Revolutio7iary Services^ and Settle- 
ment in Sa7^aioga Springs. 

" And boldly for his country, still 
In battle he had stood." 

Scott, The Gray Brother. 

" The old man would shake 
His years away, and act his young encounters ; 
Then having showed his wounds, he'd sit him down, 
And all the livelong day discourse of war." 

John Home, Douglas. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS is remarkable in that 
quite a number of its early settlers were per- 
sons who, after figuring prominently in the Border 
Wars of the American Revolution, sought within 
her borders a peaceful home in which to spend 
the evening of life. Of such a character was the 
father of the late Amos Stafford, of Stafford's Bridge, 
whose adventures have been related at length in the 
preceding chapter, and of such, also, was Samuel 
Waterbury, one of the early pioneers of Saratoga, 
to whose early history the present sketch will be 
devoted. 

Samuel Waterbury, who was the son of Josiah and 
Mary Waterbury, the uncle of Nathaniel H. Water- 
bury, Sen., and the grand-uncle of Edward, Frank, 

48 



1 



THE NEUTRAL GROUND. 



49 



and Nathaniel H; Waterbury, Jr., was, in his youth, 
a resident of Stamford, Conn. Of a strong, patriotic 
spirit, his feeHngs were early enlisted, in the Revolu- 
tionary struggle, on the side of his country. His 
athletic frame, imbued with an indomitable spirit, 
made him in the War for Independence a conspicu- • 
ous mark for the assaults of the *' Cow-Boys " — a 
scourge of the border composed of the worst elements 
of society, viz. : the Tories and '* certain lewd fellows 
of the baser sort," whose sole aim was rape, robbery, 
and murder. The country between White Plains and 
Stamford, embracing part of that which is now West- 
chester County, was, as is well known, a kind of 
neutral ground (since made famous by Cooper), on 
which in apparently insignificant skirmishes the fate 
of the empire was well-nigh decided. Here it was 
that Putnam (an ancestor of the original builder and 
owner of the Grand Union) took his famous horse- 
back ride, near Norwalk, down a rocky declivity, pur- 
sued by Tories and Indians ; and here, also. Governor 
Tryon laid in ashes Fairfield — a village which well 
might have been in Goldsmith's mind when he wrote 
of "Auburn, loveliest village of the plain." 

It happened during this period, and when faction 
was at its fiercest, that a party of Cow-Boys captured 
and ensconced themselves in a house near Stamford. 
Samuel Waterbury, at the head of a volunteer band, 
sallied forth, and drove them from their place of 
refuge. As the enemy fled, pursued by several in- 



50 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

effectual shots, one of the companions of Waterbury 
exclaimed, '* Sam, why don't you fire?" '^1 don't 
wish to waste my powder," was the reply. At that 
moment one of the British fell on the ice, when 
" Sam " at once put a ball through his head. A 
week or so after this encounter, information was 
received that a party of Cow-Boys were coming up an 
estuary of the Sound, after cattle and supplies gene- 
rally. Waterbury and his friends lay in wait, and 
as the boat approached the others discharged their 
pieces, but without effect. Waterbury then fired, 
and apparently with execution, since a voice in the 
boat cried out, '' He is killed ! " Thereupon, the 
crew of the boat paddled away, and fled down the 
creek. This timely defence saved the settlement 
from serious loss, but at the expense of Waterbury's 
hearing (as will appear hereafter), for as the enemy 
dropped down the stream, one of them delivered a 
parting shot which took effect in his knee, inflicting 
a very painful if not dangerous wound. 

Scarcely had the wound healed, when one evening 
found Waterbury in the woods hunting after some 
strayed cattle. A party of Cow-Boys, who had, as it 
afterward appeared, been hovering in the vicinity for 
several days — waiting for this very opportunity — 
coming up from behind, seized and bound his arms 
with the bridle which he had with him for the pur- 
pose of securing the cattle. Rejoicing that they had 
at length secured such a formidable antagonist, and 



ADVENTURES WITH COW-BOYS. 



51 



one, too, who had become the object of their bitter- 
est hate, they drqve him before them, scourging 
him with thongs, and taunting him with every- 
thing that their malice could suggest. By super- 
human effort he escaped from his tormentors and 
climbed a tree, only, however, to be again captured 
and subjected to worse usage than before. Finally, 
he again broke aw^y from them, and this time suc- 
cessfully, when, arousing the neighbors, he in turn 
became the pursuer, capturing nearly the entire party. 

By such feats as these Mr. Waterbury was a per- 
petual terror to the British, and continued to be so 
until the close of the war, notwithstanding the large 
rewards which were offered for his capture. Indeed, 
it is not perhaps too much to say that it was partly 
through his influence and prowess, as well as to his 
singular facility in ferreting out and thwarting the 
designs of the Cow-Boys, that the south-eastern por- 
tion of the State escaped with so little injury, com- 
paratively, during the war. 

At its close, Samuel, with his brother William — the 
latter of whom had previously resided a little time at 
East Line — came to Saratoga Springs, influenced in 
the same manner as was Amos Stafford, by exagger- 
ated reports of the productiveness of the soil.* Sam- 



* As a comparison between the price of real estate then and now, it may be stated 
that William Waterbury purchased a farm of one hundred acres lying south of what 
is now Congress Street, in the west part of the village, for which he paid $3 ^5 per 
acre ! Tetnpora fnutaniur ! 



52 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

uel bought a piece of land which had been owned by- 
Benjamin Risley, and afterward by Silas Duel, but sub- 
sequently sold it to Frederick Ellsworth, and removed 
to Chautauque County. A part of the house on the 
north side of Congress Street, a little west of the rail- 
road, and now owned and occupied by Mr. Jonathan 
Fitney as a boarding-house. Is the original building 
erected by Samuel Waterbury. William, his brother, 
made agriculture his main business ; and in the win- 
ter he employed himself in hauling lumber from the 
surrounding pineries to the Hudson River."^ 

Allusion has been made in the first part of this 
sketch to the wound which Mr. Samuel Waterbury 
received from the shot of a Cow-Boy. The wound, 
though it soon healed, produced a fever, and a certain 
condition of the nervous system, which eventually 
resulted in Waterbury becoming completely deaf. 
Such was his condition when, in the summer of 1807, 
President Dwight, in passing through Saratoga, called 
on him, and elicited the following remarkable facts. 
President Dwight says: 

'' I had, while here [Saratoga], an interesting op- 
portunity of witnessing to what a surprising degree 



* When William Waterbury first reached this country he owed the man who 
moved him seven dollars, and had but two dollars and a half with which to pay him. 
He also owned a mowing scythe and a pocket-knife. From such small beginnings he 
rose to be a re pected and comparatively wealthy citizen of the village. He was 
elected to the office of Constable, which at that day was much more elevated than 
that of Sheriff is now. This office he filled continuously for eleven years. Full of 
years and honors, like a " shock of corn fully ripe," he died on the i6th of July, 1843. 



REMARKABLE INCIDENT, 53 



the acuteness of one sense may be increased by the 
loss of another. A respectable farmer, Samuel Wa- 
terbury by name, though entirely deaf, possessed the 
faculty of conversing readily and correctly with others 
by watching the motion of their lips — so that scarcely 
a suspicion of his deafness could be entertained. I 
conversed with him some time without difficulty, 
often speaking in the lowest whisper, and standing at 
a considerable distance, as a trial of his skill. He in- 
formed me that his deafness arose from a hurt he 
had received, which terminated in a fever of some 
continuance. After his recovery, being one day 
before a looking-glass, and accidentally speaking, 
his eye was arrested by the motion of his lips ; 
and the thought struck him that he might, by 
observing these motions in himself and others, en- 
joy once more the pleasures of conversation. He 
immediately began the experiment, first learning the 
articulation of letters and words of one syllable, 
and then proceeding to those of more difficult pro- 
nunciation. After two years of laborious attention 
to the subject, he at length succeeded. When I 
saw him, his utterance was clear and distinct, and 
his articulations generally correct. This latter cir- 
cumstance is somewhat remarkable, as he has not 
heard sound for fourteen years. This recital will 
not be altogether useless should if prove the means 
of encouraging any who are deaf to attempt the 
acquaintance of an art which can in a good degree 



54 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

restore to them one of the sweetest enjoyments of 
life."* 

Whether this narrative of President Dvvight even- 
tually found its way into France and so gave rise to a 
similar idea, I know not. But within the last few 
years an institution has been started in Paris, the 
object of which is to make the deaf hear and speak 
on the very same principle first discovered and prac- 
tised by Samuel Waterbury ! 

* It may be of interest for some to know that President Dwight states that the an- 
cient town of Saratoga, which then included the township of Fairfield (a township 
six miles south of Glenn's Falls), Northumberland, and Moreau, contained in 1794 
3,071 inhabitants. In i8o«, the town of Saratoga proper had 2,481, and Northumber- 
land 2,007. In 1815, Dwight was again at Saratoga at the close of the season, at which 
time he says that " the Springs had been visited by two thousand persons." This 
numbet he appears to think marvellous ! 



CHAPTER VI. 

Gideon Putnam j his Great Services to Saratoga Springs,^ 

" When time with moss 

Shall overgrow his monumental stone, 
And crumble the pale marble into dust, 
His memory shall live ; his name shall shine 
On history's page." 

/^^IDEON PUTNAM, the grandfather of Mrs. 
^^^ Dr. R. L. Allen, and of the late Washington, 
Rockwell, and Lewis Putnam, was the son of Rufus 
and Mary Putnam, and was born in the town of 
Sutton, Mass., in 1764. Purchasing his majority of 
his father for one hundred dollars, and marrying a 
Miss Risley of Hartford, Conn., he at once set out to 
seek his fortune — his only means of support being a 
strong arm and a determined will. Reaching Mid- 
dlebury, Vt., he halted, and in a primeval wilderness 
erected a log-cabin. f This cabin was built around a 
white-oak stump, squared upon the top, and which 
served as a table. The cabin was without a chimney ; 
the seats of three logs of wood ; and the entire house- 

* For a portion of this sketch I am indebted to the HandBook of my lamented 
friend, the late Dr. R. L. Allen — a book which, for thoroughness and accuracy, up 
to the period of its date, will perhaps never be equalled. 

t The site of this cabin is now occupied by the Middlebury College buildings. 

55 



55 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



hold furniture of the young couple consisted of three 
tea-cups and saucers, three plates, three knives and 
forks, a kettle, an earthen tea-pot, and a spider! 
There was a grist-mill forty miles from them, but a 
dense forest lay between, " blazed " trees alone point- 
ing out the way. In this dilemma they cut out the 
top of the stump, and with a wooden pestle fitted to 
the excavation ground their grain. At length, not 
finding this situation quite to their minds, they 
removed to Rutland, Vt., and while here their eldest 
son, Benjamin, was born. From Rutland they re- 
moved to the "■ Five Nations," or " Bemis Flats," 
where they were joined by Dr. Clement Blakesley 
and his wife, who was a sister of Mrs. Putnam. The 
lay of the country, the quality of the soil, and the 
appearance of the timber suited him ; and he imme- 
diately put up a log-house, which was occupied by 
the two families. But the elements were against 
him, and proved more than a match even for Put- 
nam's indomitable energy. A terrific rain-storm, 
falling in the middle of the night, flooded the sur- 
rounding country, and drove the hardy pioneers, with 
their wives and children, on to their beds and furni- 
ture out of the reach of the water, which covered the 
cabin floor. Without, as far as they could see, was 
one vast sheet of water. In this condition was this 
bold, vigorous, and determined man caged, and unable 
to extricate either himself or his household. But 
fortune had not deserted them ; for in the midst of 



A DANGEROUS FRESHET. 57 

this seeming helplessness — while naught was around 
them save the roaring waters and the '' blackness of 
darkness " — a kind neighbor, by the name of Zophar 
Scidmore, living on the east shore of the Lake, on the 
present " Cleveland Place," came to their rescue with 
his sail-boat and a light canoe in tow. On nearing 
the cabin he fastened the sail-boat to some flood- 
wood which they piled upon the bank, rowed his 
canoe up to the door of the cabin, and conveyed 
Mrs. Putnam and her young child to his sail-boat. 
After securing them safely, he returned to the cabin 
for Mr. Putnam, whom he also rowed to the sail-boat. 
Scidmore then took Mrs. Putnam and the child and 
conveyed them to his own house. After safely dis- 
posing of his passengers, he returned to the flood- 
wood, whither during his absence the remainder of 
the family had been conveyed in the canoe by Put- 
nam. Reloading his little craft with Mrs. Blakesley 
and the other child, he returned to his house, and in 
the course of the day rescued the whole family, and 
lodged them safely beneath his hospitable roof. This 
calamity induced Putnam to abandon his improve- 
ments at Bemis Flats. Accordingly, after the storm 
was ovep, he, with his family, and in company with 
Dr. and Mrs. Blakesley, left the house of his bene- 
factor, and entered on an Indian trail, which he 
followed to the Springs, then scarcely known. This 
occurred in 1789. On arriving at what is now the 
village of Saratoga Springs, he selected a piece of 



58 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 

land near a fresh-water spring, where he built a log- 
cabin. This land is now owned by Mr. William H. 
Clement, whose stone house, in the western part of 
the village, stands a few rods east of the site of 
Putnam's primitive residence. 

On reviewing his position at Saratoga, Putnam said 
to his wife : *' This is a healthy place ; the mineral 
springs are valuable, and the timber is good and in 
great abundance, and I can build me a great house,''' a 
desire which had haunted him from childhood. He 
at once leased three hundred acres of land, girdled 
the trees about him, put in crops, and when he could 
not work upon the farm he employed himself* in 
making staves and shingles, which he carried to the 
Hudson River, at the mouth of Fish Creek. The 
ensuing spring he put them into a raft, and floated 
them to New York City,, where he. met with a ready 
sale and returned with means to build a saw-mill. 
On his arrival home he found a new neighbor, by 
the name of William Patchen, a wheelwright by 
trade, with whose help he soon had his mill in suc- 
cessful operation. This mill was northwest from his 
house, and the pond belonging to it has been known 
to many generations of the boys of the village by the 
name of "" Put's Pond," and has been a favorite swim- 
ming-place ever since. The next spring, Putnam's 
sawed lumber, together with his staves and shingles, 
which he took to New York, brought him a hand- 
some sum for his year's labor. With the funds he 



BUYS A SILK UMBRELLA. 



59 



thus obtained, he clothed himself and family, pro- 
vided himself with a great variety of necessaries, and 
brought home besides a peck-measure of silver coin 
in an old-fashioned pair of saddle-bags, with which 
money he paid for the three hundred acres of land 
he had previously held by a lease. But his new gar- 
ments had so changed his personal appearance that 
his wife did not know him on his return. One fancy- 
article, brought back with him, was a new silk um- 
brella, which his eldest daughter sported on the next 
Sunday. Near the saw-mill pond was the '' Indian 
Joe Field," which had been cleared and cultivated by 
the Indians. Some of the herbs now growing there 
are said to have been originally planted by the In- 
dians.* 

The third year after, Putnam and his brother-in- 
law Blakesley built tiieir cabins on opposite sides of 
the road, the latter left, and the former enlarged the 
cabin and occupied it himself. From this cabin Put- 
nam moved back into the locality which is now the 
present village, and occupied for the year the house 
owned by Thaddeus Smith, and which was destroyed 
by fire in 1863. Shortly afterwards, however, he 
moved into a new log cabin which stood upon the 
spot where the building occupied by the Saratogian 
office and First National Bank now stands. While 



* A few rods north of President Allen's house on the Bryan farm, near the old " Pest 
House," there is yet standing an old orchard (called to this day " The Indian Or- 
chard "), planted by the Mohawks about 1776. 



6o 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



living here he purchased, in 1802, of Henry Walton, 
one acre of land, removed a few of the primitive 
trees, and built seventy feet of the present Grand 

Union — his me- 
chanics meanwhile 
lodging in the attic 
of the cabin, to 
which they went 
up oil the outside 
by a ladder, their 
table being set out 
of doors. The spot 
was then in the 
midst of the for- 
est, and so large 
a building was a 
novel thing for the 
period. A wa- 
gon-way had been 
made at this time 
between Saratoga 
and Ballston ; and 
just as Putnam had 
his house com- 
pleted, some gentlemen riding past, and observing 
the house, said, in the hearing of Putnam, *' That 
man has forgotten the admonition of John Rogers, 
* Build not your house-top too high.' " This was the 
realization of the day-dreams of Putnam's childhood. 




PUTNAM AND THE WOLF, 6 1 

His sign, which was a rudely-painted representation 
of the adventure of '' General Putnam and the wolf," 
is now in the possession of one of his grandsons, Dr. 
Loren B. Putnam. The painting on the sign — a fac- 
simile of which is given on the opposite page — shows 
Putnam at the mouth of the cave grasping a wolf by 
the ears, while one of the neighbors holds the ad- 
venturous youth by the boots in readiness to pull him 
out in case the animal proves too much for him. His 
colored servant, with musket and powder-horn, stands 
near, while his friends and faithful dogs are intently 
watching the result of the adventure.* 

This sign used to afford much mirth for the 
wits of the day, one of whom — the editor of the 
Literary Picture Gallery^ published at Ballston in 
1808 — writes as follows : " The celebrated painting of 
Putnam and the Wolf, of Saratoga, has of late been 
a subject of animated discussion between an Amer- 
ican artist of high celebrity, and a travelled gentleman 
of New York well known for his exquisite taste in 
the fine arts. The connoisseur contends that this 

* In Saratoga and How to See it^ the author has made a singular historical mis- 
take in confounding Gideon Putnam with the hero of the *' Battle of Long Island" — 
General Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame. The writer says : '' The painting 
illustrates an incident of General Putnam's bravery while a citizen of Connecticut 
and before he emigrated to Saratoga" 1 ! This is almost as bad as the story told by 
a correspondent of a New York paper a fev/ years since, when he located the " Battle 
of Saratoga" on the high ground overlooking [-f/c] Congress Spring — further stating, 
also, that Biirgoine surrendered to General Greene ! Even during the College Re- 
gatta of 1874 another correspondent gravely asserted that one of the boat crews was 
staying near the Schuyler mansion which Burgoyne fired during his retreat! Is not 
the schoolmaster on American history " abroad " ? 



62 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

admirable piece, exhibiting all the terrible graces of 
Salvator Rosa, must be the production of some Italian 
artist of the seventeenth century, and consequently 
can have no allusion to any adventure of the Amer- 
ican hero whose name is inscribed on the picture. 

Colonel T , on the contrary, maintains that it is 

evident from internal marks that the artist can be no 
other than the illustrious Vander Daub, who came 
over to this country in the suite of the Dutch Ambas- 
sador soon after the Peace. Who shall decide where 
doctors disagree ? " * 

The old Putnam tavern was on the site of the 
present Grand Union, owned and occupied by his 
descendants until 1864, when it was purchased by the 
Leland Brothers, who, with a strange lack of good 
taste, changed its name from '' Union Hall " to the 
one it now bears. 

In 1805, Putnam purchased of Henry Walton another 
strip of land, which was forty-four rods wide and four 
hundred and seventy-two rods and seven feet long, 
and extended from the east side of what is now 
Franklin Street to the lands of Jacobus Barhydt, con- 
taining one hundred and thirty acres. On the west 
end of this purchase he laid out a village, at the same 
time appropriating, in its southwest corner, a piece 
of land as a burying-ground. This he afterward gave 
to the village. 

♦ For this anecdote I am indebted to Mr. C C. Dawson, who furnished it to me in 
his letter printed in Appendix I. of this work. 



TUBING THE SPRINGS. 63 

Nor was the giving of the ground for a grave-yard 
the extent of this noble man's generosity. At the 
time he laid out the village, he set apart the site of 
the present Baptist Church, on which to erect a house 
of worship ; and, with a truly catholic spirit, directed 
it to be given to any religious society who should 
place upon it a suitable building. The Baptist So- 
ciety were, in 1821, the first applicants, and it was 
accordingly deeded to them by the heirs of Gideon 
Putnam. 

Indeed, it is to Putnam that the village is indebted, 
more than to any other individual, for improvements 
at the Springs during this period of its history. His 
enterprise and energy cleared away the forest trees 
from the adjacent plains, converted the rich pineries 
into materials and means for the further development 
of the town, erected public buildings for the accom- 
modation of visitors, opened highways about the 
village, improved and laid out its streets, and exca- 
vated, tubed, and secured the mineral springs. He 
was, emphatically, the man of his day in the locality ; 
and he made such an impression on the place of his 
choice, that his name must co-exist with the history 
of the village which his energy did so much to de- 
velop. He possessed a will which no ordinary ob- 
stacle could long withstand ; and by his exertions the 
din and hum of civilization soon took the place of 
the deep and solemn murmur of the primitive pine 
forest. 



64 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



In 1806, he excavated and tubed tKe Washington 
(Clarendon) Spring, and soon afterwards tubed the 
present Columbian Spring. The number of strangers 
at Saratoga began now to increase annually, some of 
whom would call up from the neighboring village of 
I^allston, take dinner with Putnam at Union Hall, 
drink the Congress water, and return to Ballston. 
About this time he built a bath-house on the ground 
directly north of Congress Spring, and to supply it 
with mineral water he excavated a mineral spring, 
about fifteen feet west of the present Congress Foun- 
tain. 

Putnam next tubed the Hamilton Spring, and some 
time afterwards moved his bathing-house from its for- 
mer site near the Congress Spring to the Hamilton. 
In 181 1, he began the erection of Congress Hall; but 
while the masons were plastering the north end of 
the piazza, the scaffolding on which he was walking 
at the time gave way, and the entire party w^ere pre- 
cipitated on to the timbers and rocks below, the floor 
not having yet been laid. The master-mason, Sullard, 
died instantly, his neck being broken, and all the 
workmen who fell being more or less injured. Put- 
nam, who had some of his ribs broken, and was con- 
fined to his bed for several weeks after the accident, 
never fully recovered from the injuries he received by 
this fall. In the following November he was attacked 
by inflammation of the lungs, of which he died on the 
first day of December, 1812. He was the first to be 



DEATH OF PUTNAM, 65 

laid in the burying-ground which he had presented to 
the village. Thus ended the earthly career of this 
hardy, resolute, and enterprising pioneer, whose la- 
bors were so interwoven with the early history of 
Saratoga 



CHAPTER VII. 

Alexander Bryan. 

" You must not think 
That we are made of stuff so flat and dull 
That we can let our beard be shook with danger. 
And think it pastime."— ^aw/^/. 

DR. JOHN H. STEEL, in his Analysis of the 
Mineral Springs of Saratoga^ gives an ex- 
tended notice of Alexander Bryan, from which we 
learn that " he must be considered the first perma- 
nent settler here after the close of the war." He 
located himself near the High Rock Spring in 1787, 
buying of Gideon Morgan the land previously owned 
by the son of Samuel Norton, and building a large 
log-house which he opened for the accommodation 
of visitors. There were persons living when Dr. 
Steel wrote, who " remembered, with peculiar plea- 
sure, the clean apartments and comfortable accom- 
modations afforded by the proprietor of this humble 
mansion." " Bryan was a shrewd and somewhat 
of an eccentric character ; and the events of his life, 
if generally known, would undoubtedly place his 
name among the patriots of his time and furnish a 
deserved monument to his memory." The hint 
winch Dr. Steel thus throws out was acted upon by 

66 



ALEXANDER BRYAN. 6/ 

his grandson, John Alexander Bryan, who, a few 
years since, erected to his memory a monument in 
Greenridge Cemetery, bearing this inscription : 

" In memory of Alexander Bryan. Died April 
9th, 1825, aged 92 years. The first permanent set- 
tler, and the first to keep a public-house, here, for 
visitors. An unpaid patriot who, alone and at great 
peril, gave the first and only information of Bur- 
goyne's intended advance on Stillwater, which led 
to timely preparations for the Battle of September 
19th — followed by the memorable victory of October 
7th, 1777." 

Dr. Steel, in the work above mentioned, gives 
many particulars of the undertaking thus briefly re- 
ferred to ; and we have in our possession several 
letters and papers from which a thrilling narrative 
might be written. 

Alexander Bryan was born in 1733. He was a 
native of Connecticut, and emigrated to New York 
early in life, fixing his residence in Dutchess County, 
where he married Martha Tallmadge, a sister of Sena- 
tor Tallmadge's father. Some years afterward he 
removed to the town of Half-Moon, Saratoga County, 
where he kept an inn about two miles north of Water- 
ford, on what was then the great road between the 
Northern and Southern frontiers. Here he continued 
to reside during the war of. the American Revolution ; 
and his house, naturally, was frequently the resort of 
the partisans of the contending powers — towards 



58 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



whom he conducted himself so discreetly that he was 
molested by neither, but was confided in by both. 
His patriotism, however, was well known to the 
•'Committee of Safety" of Stillwater, who through 
him were enabled to thwart many machinations of 
the Tories. 

When General Gates took command of the North- 
ern army, he applied to the Committee to furnish him 
with a suitable person who might act as a scout, and 
by penetrating within the enemy's lines report their 
strength and intended movements. Bryan was at 
once selected " as the best qualified to undertake the 
hazardous enterprise." Nor was the choice of the 
Committee ill advised. Bryan was a person endowed 
with great physical powers of endurance ; well ac- 
quainted with the country ; shrewd, discreet, and 
reticent ; gifted with a fine address and presence ; 
and, considering the meagre educational advantages 
of the time, possessed of much more than ordinary 
intelligence. By pursuing a circuitous route, he 
arrived unmolested at the camp of the enemy, which, 
at this time, was situated in the vicinity of Fort 
Edward. He tarried in the neighborhood until he 
obtained the required information, and was convinced 
that preparations were making for an immediate 
advance. Then, on the 15th of September, in the 
early gray of the autumn .morning, he started with 
the tidings. He had not proceeded many miles 
before he discovered that he was hotly pursued by 



PURSUED BY TROOPERS. 69 

two troopers, from whom, after an exciting chase, he 
adroitly managed to escape, and arrived safely at the 
headquarters of General Gates late in the following 
night. The intelligence he communicated, of the 
crossing of the Hudson by Burgoyne, with the evident 
intention on the part of that General to surprise the 
American army at Stillwater, was of the greatest 
importance, and led immediately to the preparations 
which resulted in the sanguinary engagement of the 
19th of September. It is handed down as a tradition 
in the Bryan family, that Gates was in such haste to 
profit by this information — on which, from his know- 
ledge of Bryan, he implicitly relied — that he forgot 
either to reward or thank his faithful scout ; and, 
what is worse, he never mentioned the exploit in any 
of his despatches.* This circumstance is thus alluded 
to by Dr. Steel : *' The numerous and essential ser- 
vices which Bryan thus rendered to his country con- 
tinued for a long time to excite the admiration and 
gratitude of his few remaining associates, to whom 
alone they were known, and by whom their impor- 
tance could only be properly estimated ; and it is to 
be regretted that to the day of his death they re- 
mained unacknowledged and unrewarded by any 
token or profession of gratitude by his country." 
Mr. Bryan left five sons, Daniel, Jehial, Robert, 

* Gates seemed to have a habit of forgetting to mention in his despatches those to 
whom he was indebted for his successes. Arnold, for instance, who did such signal 
service in the action of October 7th, was never alluded to by him." 



70 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



John, and Alexander,* and two daughters, all of 
whom are now dead. None of these, except Daniel, 
ever made any effort to have the services of their 
father acknowledged and rewarded by the United 
States Government. We have seen a letter from 
Daniel, accurately written, in 1853, at the age of 
eighty-two, in a clear, bold hand, in which he speaks 
of an application made in his behalf, as the only 
surviving legal representative (by the Hon. John M. 
Parker, M.C. from that district), for an appropria- 
tion to pay the services of his father in the Burgoyne 
campaign. The application failed because, as it is 
supposed, no witnesses could be found except those 
who had heard the facts traditionally, which was 
not deemed to be within the rules laid down by 
Congress in such cases. For these reasons it is the 
more fitting that we should here permanently record 
and give prominence to the patriotic deeds of this 
early settler of Saratoga. 

Bryan continued to reside at the Springs for more 
than thirty years, or until age had rendered him 
incompetent for active life. He then retired to Car- 



• Of these, Daniel became a farmer in Barton, Tioga Co., N. Y. ; Robert became a 
merchant in New Orleans ; Jehial, a farmer near Detroit ; John, a fanner and mer- 
chant in Saratoga, where he built the stone house and store on the corner of Front 
and Rock Streets, in the " Upper Village "—supposed to be the identical spot where 
his father's house stood— and still owned in the family ; and Alexander. Jr., became a 
merchant in Mobile. Our old bachelor townsman and follower of Nimrod, Robert 
Bryan, is the son of John ; and John A. Bryan, of New York City, is the son of Alex- 
ander, Jr. These last two are, we believe, the only remaining grandsons. 



EFFORTS TO OBTAIN A PENSION. 7 1 

lisle, in the County of Schoharie, N. Y., where he 
died. Dr. Steel concludes his account of him with 
this further tribute to his worth : ** He possessed a 
strong constitution, a sound and vigorous mind, and 
a benevolent and kind disposition. The poor, and 
miserable, and unfortunate were always the objects 
of his care, his kindness, and his charity." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The Early Settlers of Saratoga. The Arnold, Mosher, 
Jewel, Taylor.^ Ballard, and Fitch Families. 

" Forgotten generations live again ; 
Assume the bodily shapes they wore of old. 
Beyond the Flood." 

KiRKE White. 

THE earliest settlements made in the county were 
in 1764, on the shore of Lake Saratoga, at the 
mouth of the Kayaderosseras Creek. Owing to the 
jealousy of the Mohawks, these settlers, through the 
exertions of Sir William Johnson, relinquished their 
design, and vacated the spot. In 1770-1, however, 
the causes of difficulty having been removed, several 
families located themselves on the high lands east of 
Snake Hill. About the same time, also, John Laing, 
Rowland Perry, and John Stiles settled in the more 
immediate vicinity of what is now the village, viz., at 
Wilton, or, as it was then called, Palmertown. The 
first man, however, who actually made the earliest 
settlement in the village was Dirick Scowton, who 
cleared a piece of ground on the top of the hill in 
the rear of the High Rock, and built a log-house; 
but hardly had he completed his cabin when a misun- 
derstanding with the Indians forced him to leave the 
place. 

7a 



SETTLEMENT NEAR SNAKE HILL.' 73 

The Arnold Fa7nily. 

In the year 1774, John Arnold, son of John and 
Martha Arnold, arrived with his family from Rhode 
Island, on the east shore of Lake Saratoga. Here he 
heard such accounts of the mineral springs and the 
land about them, that he was induced to continue his 
journey farther. Accordingly, after supplying him- 
self with articles suitable for trading with the Indians, 
he put his family and household on board a canoe, 
and paddled from Snake Hill across the Lake, and 
entered the mouth of the Kayaderosseras Creek. 
This stream he followed for about two miles, until he 
struck the old Indian trail from Ballston Lake — along 
which, eight years before. Sir William Johnson had 
passed on his way to the High Rock. Here he 
landed ; and, taking their furniture and provisions on 
their backs, his family soon arrived at the Spring, and 
took possession of the deserted log-cabin of Scowton. 
After keeping the place as a tavern for two years, he 
sold the ground on which the Upper Village now 
stands for a trifle to Samuel Norton,* and settled 
near the base of Snake Hill, where he lived until his 

* Norton also held a portion of his land by purchase from Isaac Low, who in turn 
bought it of Rip Van Dam. Upon the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, Nor- 
ton abandoned his improvements, and joined the British army, and soon afterwards died. 
By his death the "Spring" was again left without a white inhabitant. In 1783, a 
son of Norton removed to the Springs, took possession of the property previously occu- 
pied by his father, and prosecuted the improvements already begun, until 1787, when 
he sold to Gideon Morgan, who, the same year, conveyed it to Alexander Bryan, who 
built a blacksmith's shop and an additional log-house, which he opened as an inn. (See 
chapter on " Alexander Bryan.") 



74 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



decease. Here he was joined by his two brothers, 
Thomas and Sylvanus, and by Peter Clement, also 
from the East. These families, together with those 
others who had located at Snake Hill in 1770, form- 
ed quite a settlement. Thomas Arnold's daughter, 
Martha, subsequently married Peter Clement's son, 
Thomas, a daughter of whom is the wife of Mr. 
Henry Myers, of ''Cedar Bluff Hotel." Nathaniel 
Arnold, an uncle of Mrs. Myers, is still living, at the 
green old age of eighty-nine, with his mental faculties 
yet undimmed. 

The Arnold family, as might have been expected 
from their coming from the State of Roger Williams, 
appear to have been remarkably intelligent and well 
educated. I have in my possession a letter written 
in 1 8 10, and directed to '' Mr. Thomas Arnold, at 
Stillwater, near Saratoga Lake," written from the 
mother of the Arnolds, which, for those days, is a 
model of correct expression and penmanship, albeit 
the style is somewhat quaint, especially when the 
writer says, *' Dorcas remembers her best respects to 
Joseph and Betsy." Mrs. Arnold, it would appear, 
had left her son's residence near Lake Saratoga, and 
moved to the western part of New York State — 
making, by the way, the trip from Stillwater in seven- 
teen days, which was then considered very quick 
time. But even at that early day the " Western 
fever" was prevalent, since the writer concludes as 
follows : " The land [here] is Rising rapidly, and if 



A PRIMITIVE FERRY-BOAT. 75 

any of you wants to make his fortune now is his 
chance." 

To these two families, the Arnolds and Clements, 
is due the final extermination of the venomous rep- 
tiles from which Snake Hill takes its name. One of 
the first exploits of John Arnold and Peter Clement 
after arriving at Snake Hill was to assemble a " Rat- 
tlesnake Bee " ; and for one week the crops and all 
farm-work were left in abeyance until, after a 
thorough and most destructive campaign, there was, 
comparatively, not a rattlesnake left. St. Patrick 
himself did not demoralize the snakes in Ireland 
more completely ! The celebration of the feat was 
commensurate with its importance, since the snakes 
had become very annoying to the farmers. 

The Fish and Mosher Families. 

In 1783, as we have seen, Amos Stafford settled on 
the banks of Lake Saratoga, on that which is now 
called the " French Farm." One year later, Levi 
Fish, the 'father of Richard Fish, who, in 1833, taught 
a grammar-school in the Stafford school-house, moved 
from Dutchess County and settled a few rods north of 
Carey B. Moon's Lake House, where he established 
the first ferry across the Lake. This ferry, as may 
be readily imagined, was exceedingly primitive, con- 
sisting merely of Indian " dug-outs" {i. e.^ logs hol- 
lowed out) with planks laid across them. Two years 
after, however, he constructed a scow, which was 



76 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



pulled across the stream with the hands by means of 
a rope stretched from bank to bank. This scow was 
in use for many years ; and, indeed, up to the build- 
ing of " Moon's Bridge" this mode of conveyance 
across the Lake at this point was the only one in 
vogue. In the same year, 1784, George Mosher, 
grandfather of N. Mosher, settled on the farm next 
west of Mr. Stafford's latter farm on Fish Creek, on 
the " Avery Road." The year following, '' Squire" 
John Gilbert settled on the site of the present 
"Gilbert Place," at the junction of Union Avenue 
and the old North or Lake road. He was a man of 
some parts, was elected Justice of the Peace, and 
left a numerous and respectable progeny, among 
whom were the late Morris, and the present Daniel 
and Seymour Gilbert. At that time a bridle or foot 
path was the only way from the .'' Narrows" to the 
" High Rock" ; and often, after a storm, it would be 
rendered impassable by the large trees which had 
fallen across. Mrs. Mosher, the daughter of Levi 
Fish and who died in 1862, aged eighty-six years, was 
on first coming from Dutchess County a child of eight 
years ; and she was wont to recall vividly the hard- 
ships of the journey either to the High Rock or the 
grist-mill at Ballston. 

The Jcivel Family, 
This family is deserving of special mention were 
it only for the fact that it is identified with the dis- 



DISCOVERY OF THE CONGRESS SPRING. yj 

covery of the ''Congress Spring." Mr. and Mrs. 
Jewel are still living on the " old Nelson Plac'e" on 
Henry street, at an extraordinary age — the husband 
being now in his ninety-eighth and the wife in her 
ninety-seventh year. Mrs. Jewel, "^ who is a remark- 
ably intelligent lady, was recently "interviewed " by 
Mr. Nelson Cook, the artist, who, at my request, 
kindly visited the aged couple. To Mr. Cook, Mrs. 
Jewel gave the following highly interesting, and, in 
many respects, wholly new pieces of information : 

At the time of her coming to Saratoga, in 1792, 
from Norfolk, Conn., there were a few Indians living 
there, some deer, and plenty of wolves and bears. 
Ballston was a larger place than Saratoga, inasmuch as 
it boasted of three small houses (one frame and two 
log) and a grist-mill — whereas the latter village had 
only two small frame-houses and one log-cabin ! Vis- 
itors, who journeyed hither at that time, to drink of 
the " High Rock," came in covered vehicles (similar 
to the present prairie-wagon) with beds in them, in 
which they slept. 

New facts in relatio7i to the Discovery of the Congress Spring. 

Mrs. Jewel further stated that in the spring of 1790, 
among the visitors at the " High Rock" were a Con- 
gressman (John Taylor Oilman) and an aged gentle- 
man, his friend and fellow-traveller. One day as the 

* As mentioned in the chapter on " Grave-yards," Mrs, Jewel was the daughter of 
Jonathan Holmes, who built the old Columbian Hotel in 1808. 



78 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



former, accompanied by Mrs. Jewel's young brother, 
was returning from a hunt along a winding foot-path 
leading to her father's house— the aged gentleman 
meanwhile sitting on the door-step awaiting their 
coming — the boy, highly elated, ran forward exclaim- 
\x\^\ "O mother! we've found a new spring ! " To 
the question of Mrs. Holmes, " Who found it?" her 
son repHed, " The Congress." * The aged gentleman 
then said, laughingly, to Mr. Oilman, who had now 
come up: "The spring shall always be called * The 
Congress.' " Thereupon, the entire household *' turn- 
ed out " and went down to see the wonderful dis- 
covery. At this period it was necessary to climb 
over logs waist-high to gain access to the new spring 
— the water issuing from a fissure in the rock. For a 
long time afterward the water was conducted to the 
glass through a wooden spout fastened into the 
crevice. 

For years subsequent to the discovery of the '' Con- 
gress," the communication between Saratoga and 
Ballston was by a cow-path ; and in her fifteenth year, 
and for a long time afterward, Mrs. Jewel often took 
bags of wheat on horseback over this primitive road 
to be ground at Ballston ; *'and," proudly added Mrs. 
Jewel, " I always carried three bushels of grain at a 
load ! " Two wagon-tracks only, at this time, led to 



• Henry Holmes, who was the little boy thus referred to, afterwards married and 
«:..lcd .n Troy, N. Y.. where he died in i8a6, aged forty-four. He is buried in the 
Mount Ida Cemetery. 



THE TAYLOR BROTHERS. 



n 



the village — one from the north-west, the present road 
from Greenfield, intersecting Rock Street, and the 
other, the Wilton road from the north-east. 

Mr. Jewel also stated that he had often noticed the 
water trickling through a fissure in the High Rock — 
thus confirming the statement of Mrs. Dvvight that, 
on her visit there in 1789, the water overflowed the 
top, until a large tree, a few years afterward, fell upon 
it and cracked the tufa.'^ 

The Taylor Brothers, 

Nor should the Taylor brothers be forgotten. De- 
scended from a large and very respectable ancestry, 
they came to Saratoga at an early period in its his- 
tory, and at once took a prominent and influential 
position among the pioneers of the place. Ziba Tay- 
lor, one of the brothers, whose only daughter married 
Dr. Steel, carried on for many years an extensive 
lumber business, opened a store in the Upper Village 
and resided in a house which stood, until quite re- 
cently, overlooking the hill above the Empire Spring. 
The Taylor Brothers were distinguished by great en- 
ergy and integrity of character. They built the 
hotel now known as the '' Mansion House," and 
at the same time opened the ** Ten Springs," 

* " The statement of grandmother [the wife of Amos Stafford, whose life is given 
in Chapter IV.] in relation to the High Rock Spring corroborates those of Mrs. 
Dwight. She stated also that the first frame-house at that Spring was built by 
Samuel Norton, who was the grandfather of Mrs. Isaac Howland of ' Old Saratoga.' " 
— Letter to the author front Mrs. Mary Stafford Rouse ^ of Bacon Hilly Sara- 
toga County^ N. Y. 



(,Q REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Doctor Bullard, 

Among the prominent physicians who settled early 
in Saratoga was Dr. Beroth Bullard, an uncle of 
General E. F. Bullard. He was a descendant of 
Benjamin Bullard, in the sixth generation, who set- 
tled at Watertown, Mass., about 1630, before Boston 
was known. The mother of Dr. Bullard was Hope- 
still Taft, a descendant in the fourth generation from 
Robert Taft, who settled in Worcester County, Mass., 
about 1670. 

Beroth Bullard was born at Stourbridge, Mass., 
in 1769, and was fully educated in that State for 
the medical profession. He first settled in Augusta, 
Maine, but thence emigrated to Greenfield, Saratoga 
County, N. Y., about the year 1800.* Soon after, he 
married Charlotte, eldest daughter of Capt. St. John, 
of the latter place, in the year 181 3. The Doctor 
removed to Saratoga Springs, and in 18 17 built the 
residence opposite the present Town Hall, in which 
Dr. Freeman afterward resided up to the time of his 
death. The Saratoga County Medical Society was 
organized in the year 1806, with only a few mem- 
bers, among whom was Dr. Elijah Porter, of Water- 
ford, father of Ex-Judge John K. Porter. Dr. Bul- 
lard and Billy J. Clark became members of the 
Medical Society in 1807, and Dr. Steel a year later, 
in i8d8. Dr. Bullard, in connection with the cele- 



• HU brother, Alpheus Bullard, came to Greenfield about 1809, and settled in 
Schuylcrville about 18x0. 



DEATH OF DOCTOR BULLARD. 8 1 

brated Billy J. Clark, of Moreau, was one of the 
earliest workers in the cause of temperance. 

Duriiig his twenty-nine years' residence in Green- 
field and Saratoga, Dr. Bullard continued in active 
practice, and was highly regarded by his associates 
in the profession ; but his great kindness of heart 
prevented his becoming a prompt collector, and while 
he left but a few worldly goods to his heirs, he was 
kindly remembered by all of his patients. On the 
25th day of December, 1829, he was in his usual 
good health, and on that day was sent for by Mrs. 
Bockes, who then resided at St. John's Corners, about 
five miles north of Saratoga. It was an extremely 
cold day, and when he arrived at her residence it 
was evening. After having prescribed for Mrs. 
Bockes, the doctor seated himself by the fire, and 
while heating his feet fell backward and expired in 
a few moments. He literally died in the harness, in 
the prime of life, in the midst of his friends, and 
greatly lamented by all. 

Judge Bockes, who was then a mere boy, well re- 
members riding on horseback to call Dr. Bullard to 
the bedside of his sick mother, and was present at 
his sudden death. The remains of Dr. Bullard were 
interred in the Fitch Cemetery, on the same farm 
where he died. He left one son and six daugfhters, 
several of the descendants of whom yet reside at 
Greenfield and in Saratoga Springs. "^ 

* Gardner Bullard, of Saratoga Springs, was a distant cousin of Dr. Bullard ; Benja- 



32 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



The Fitch Family. 
In 1785, the Fitch family, influenced by settlers in 
Ballston, came from Wilton and Norwalk, Connec- 
ticut, and selected four farms in what was then Balls- 
ton (but is now Greenfield), at a place since called St. 
John's Corners, about four miles north-west of Sara- 
toga Springs. From the Kayaderosseras they jour- 
neyed some five miles into the wilderness, marking 
the trees on either side the better to find their way 
back. They returned to Connecticut, and the year 
following, Ebenezer Fitch, Giles Fitch, Captain John 
St. John, who married Hannah Fitch, their sister, and 
a Mr. Smith, with their four families, removed from 
Connecticut to this county, and tarried a few days 
with their friends at Ballston. Giles Fitch had pre- 
viously married the daughter of Thaddeus Betts, of 
Ballston, and on the 15th day of May, 1786, the party 
started from the residence of Mr. Betts to erect their 
log-cabin in the wilderness. Ebenezer Fitch selected 
the north-west corner of two hundred acres ; * Giles 
Fitch the south-west corner. Captain St. John the 
north-cast corner, and Mr. Smith the south-west cor- 
ner. Shortly after this, Major Jabez Fitch also moved 

min Billiard, of Medway, Mass., of the third generation, was the great-grandfather of 
each. The wife of Mr. Granger, of Saratoga, is a grand-daughter of Dr. Bullard, as is 
also the present wife of John N. Smith, of Greenfield. Nor should we omit to men- 
lion, as one of the early settlers, Mr. Thomas Seymour, who, born in Greenfield, is 
now residing with his daughter, Mrs. Truman Safford, at Saratoga Springs, hale and 
hearty, in his eighty-ninth year. 

• Ebenezer Fitch afterward (in 1798) conveyed his portion to Ephraim Bullock, the 
grandfather of Hon. Judge Bockes. 



^ -^ i^i<^ 




FIRST SAW-MILL IN GREENFIELD. 



FIUST SAW-MILL IN GREENFIELD. 83 



Up from Fairfield, Connecticut,* and purchasing about 
five hundred acres from Dirck Lefferts,f built on the 
spot now known as Locust Grove, two miles north- 
west of the village. Soon after, the latter built a 
grist and saw-mill on the Creek, near the present resi- 
dence of Mr. Daniels. This was the first mill built in 
this section of the country, but it has long since gone 
to ruin. These three Fitches were all brothers, and 
were the only sons of Ebenezer Fitch, who was the 
third son of Governor Thomas Fitch, of Connecticut. :|: 
When they first settled in this county the entire 
country was infested with bears and wolves ; and the 
only means of protecting their swine and other do- 



* Hence the name of " Fairfield," which was given originally to a part of the pre- 
sent town of Wilton. 

+ Dirck Lefferts' first deed to Gideon Putnam of lands in Saratoga was three years 
later, and is dated June 2, 1791 ; and his first deed of lands where the old Ballston 
Springs were situated was given to Benijah Douglas, grandfather of the late Hon. 
Stephen A. Douglas, November 28, 1791. In 1786, towns had been organized within 
what is now Saratoga County ; but the territory was divided into three districts, viz. : 
Halfmoon, Saratoga, and Ballston. The eastern portion of Greenfield was then in the 
Saratoga district. Greenfield was not organized as a town until 1793. 

X Thomas Fitch settled at Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1638, and died after 1665. His 
son, Thomas (the second), had seven children, and died in 1690, at Norwalk. Thomas 
(the third), a son of the latter, died at Norwalk, May 10, 1731, aged sixty. A daugh- 
ter of his was grandmother of Chancellor Kent. Thomas (the fourth), was Chief-Jus- 
tice of the Colony of Connecticut, and from 1754 to 1756 was Governor of that Colony ; 
died July 18, 1774, aged seventy-five. He had ten children. His third son, Ebenezer, 
was born at Norwalk, February 25, 1729 ; married Lydia, daughter of Samuel Mills, 
Jr., of Greenwich, Connecticut . He died at Wilton, Connecticut, in 1762, and left three 
sons, as above stated, who are the sixth generation in this country. The second 
Ebenezer Fitch married Sarah Hobby, daughter of Colonel David Hobby, of North 
Castle, Westchester County, New York, a prominent actor in that vicinity during the 
Revolutionary War. Mrs. A. A. Patterson, of Saratoga Springs, is a great-grand- 
daughter of Colonel Hobby. 



S4 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



mcs^tic animals was to build solid ''pens" and cover 
them with huge logs. " It was a common custom in 
the ni«-^ht-time," writes a member of the Fitch family 
to the author, " to hear bears upon the top of the 
logs, growling and attempting to make their way into 
the ' pens.' Sometimes those animals would be shot 
to furnish fresh meat. Thus it was profitable to keep 
a few swine as a lure with which to entice Bruin to 
his destruction." "^ 

Major Jabez Fitch, Captain John St. John, and 
Giles Fitch served in the Revolutionary war, the 
former two as officers, and the latter as a private. 
Hannah Fitch, the daughter of Ebenezer, was born 
upon her father's farm, September 9th, 1787, and was 
the third female white child born in this section of 
the country, or north of the Kayaderosseras, the first 
one having been Mary Stafford, born on the 7th of 
March, I786,t and the second Sarah Waterbury, born 

* Tne vicinity of Saratoga, from all accounts, must have been prolific in bears. 
**rhck" McLease, one of the early settlers and hunters in Saratoga, was wont to re- 
late the following story : He was once out hunting by the saw-mill, near the locality 
where is now " Put's Pond," northwest of the village. Hearing a noise like the break- 
ing of limbs in the direction of a large chestnut-tree a few rods off, he worked his way 
tinder cover of the mill, and discovered a bear in the tree pulling in the limbs, and 
picking the chestnuts from the open burrs. After gaining a more favorable position 
and ezamJiring the priming of his gun, a well-directed shot brought the bear to the 
ground. McLease was a famous hunter, and my friend Horace Kelly, who knew him 
irefl, states that it used to be said of McLease, that if pigeons ever came in sight of 
hM ** boogh-house " they were sure to give him a call. So plenty were those birds at 
that time, that the common price of them was sixpence a dozen, 

+ She wa» a very genial lady, and retained until her death a vivid recollection of 
|J|« "early times." Once, during her girlhood, her father, Amos Stafford, brought 
t a '* cab ''—having killed the mother — and chained it near the house ; she in child- 



MAJOR EDWARD FITCH. 8$ 



in Greenfield, April 19th, 1787. Hannah Fitch mar- 
ried Alpheus Bullard, of Schuylerville, and yet sur- 
vives, being eight days older than the Constitution of 
the United States, which was signe'd by Washington 
September 17th of that year. Several of her sons 
are also living, including General E. F. Bullard, for- 
merly of Waterford, but now of Saratoga Springs, 
and David A. Bullard, of Schuylerville. 

Ebenezer Fitch erected the first frame dwelling in 
the town of Greenfield. In this house Judge Bockes 
was born in the year 18 17. In 1798 Ebenezer Fitch 
removed to the east bank of Fish Creek, and bought 
the farm near Stafford's bridge, where his son, Major 
Edward Fitch, resided until his death, on the 29th of 
May, 1875 — a model of the old-school country gentle- 
man.' 



* 



" His walk through life was marked by every grace ; 
His soul sincere, his friendship void of guile. 
Long shall remembrance all his virtues trace, 
And fancy picture his benignant smile." 



ish glee ventured too near, whereupon Bruin, with his paw, knocked her down and 
appropriated to his own use the bread and butter she held in her hand. Miss Staf- 
ford was twice married, her second husband being John Wicks, of Fayette, Seneca 
County ,~ New York. She died in 1870, and is buried in the Prospect Hill Ceme- 
tery, at Schuylerville, New York. 

* Major Edward Fitch, who was a great-grandson of Thomas Fitch, a Colonial Gov- 
ernor of Connecticut, and an uncle of General E. F. Bullard, was born near St. John's 
Comers, in the town of Greenfield, New York, in 1794, and consequently was eighty- 
two at his decease. He was ever a lover of agriculture, and always remained in that 
peaceful pursuit. For more than fifty years his beautiful residence on the east shore 
of Lake Saratoga has been remarkable for its hospitality. No person ever visited the 
farm without bearing away a high respect for the man. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Lake Saratoga,— Its Colonial afid Early History, — The 
Great Kayaderosseras Patefit. 

" And many a gloomy tale tradition yet 
Saves from oblivion, of their struggles vain, 
Their prowess and their wrongs." 

Robert C. Sands. 

A SINGULAR feature of American scenery is the great 
number and beauty of its small fresh-water lakes — 
" fit residence for the naiads " — fed by living springs, 
and with shores always richly fringed with foliage," 
and often hilly and picturesque. They lie in the 
midst of wild forests, like silver mirrors, tranquil and 
lovely, and *' mingling a refinement and an elegance 
with the bold character of the scenery, which con- 
trasts, like Una, with the couchant Lion." 

One of the most beautiful of these, perhaps, is 
Lake Saratoga, the best view of which is obtained 
from the top of Caldwell's Hill, on the eastern bank. 
There the scene which meets the eye is calm and" 
beautiful rather than sublime. The broad expanse 
of the Lake lies below like a mass of molten silver — 
the reflection of the foliage at the water's edge giving 
it the appearance of being fringed with emeralds. 
Nothing can surpass the gracefulness of the sweep of 

86 



SCENERY OF LAKE SARATOGA. 87 

the hills which come down to the further shore, or the 
charm of the prospect which the scene presents of 
native forest and cultivated field — in one part stretch- 
ing up the hill-side, and in others spreading out intc 
wide and rich plains. It possesses more of the lovely 
and less of the grand than Lake George, and the 
beholder is lost more in admiration than astonish- 
ment. At a distance of one mile from this stand- 
point, the Lake takes a turn to the right or eastwardly, 
and is merged in Fish Creek, through which it emp- 
ties itself into the Hudson. If, while the visitor is 
still lingering on this spot, one of those summer show- 
ers — so frequent in this region — should descend, he 
would feel amply repaid for his wet clothes by seeing 
the shower soon pass away, and the sun, now declin- 
ing in the west, again shine forth in all his loveliness 
and glory, softening the outlines of the hills, and 
pouring upon the pure bosom of the Lake a flood of 
exquisite beauty. Indeed, it would be difficult for 
the imagination, in all the fairy visions that fancy can 
create, to picture a scene like this. 

'*How sweet 
Upon a summer evening, when the lake 
Lies half in shadow, half in crimson light, 
Like hope and fear, holding within the heart 
Divided empire, with a light slack sail 
To steer your little boat amid the isles. 
Now gazing in the clouds like fiery balls. 
Till head and eye are filled with glorious thoughts 
Of golden palaces in fairy-lands." 



88 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Lake Saratoga, moreover, is peculiar in that it can 
be seen from nearly every point of the compass. 
From the Catskills on the south, from the Kaya- 
derosseras mountains on the west, from the Palmer- 
town range, and French Mountain, near Lake George, 
on the north-west— it is distinctly visible ; while from 
a particular point on the top of Potash Kettle near 
Luzerne, Lake Saratoga, as well as the vicinity of 
the Indian Pass, may be plainly discerned. 

The Great Kayaderosseras Patent. 

But our charming Lake has other associations con- 
nected with it than those of the picturesque. Willis, 
writing of it in 1840, says : '' Saratoga Lake must de- 
pend for celebrity on its fish dinners." Not so. LAKE 
Saratoga in history will long be remembered not 
only from the fact that the first white settlement in 
the county was made upon its banks, but, also, from 
its connection with the final adjustment of the GREAT 
Patent of the Kayaderosseras. 

Before, however, giving the history of this cele- 
brated Patent in detail, it should be stated that the 
Lake and the country in its immediate vicinity had 
been from time immemorial considered by the Mo- 
hawks as their best hunting-ground. The encamp- 
ment of the latter nation was on the Kayaderosseras 
Flats, now in the possession of the Ramsdell family. 
Even if we had not the traditions of that nation as 
vouchers for this assertion, the archaeological remains 



INDIAN REMAINS. 89 



still extant sufficiently, prove it. There is yet a 
tradition in the Ramsdell family that when their an- 
cestors first settled on the shore of the Lake (where 
their descendants still reside), the remains of an In- 
dian camping-ground were plainly to be seen. On 
these flats, Professor Henry McGuire (whose erudi- 
tion as a geologist and archaeologist, by the way, never 
has had the recognition which it deserves) and my- 
self have frequently picked up quantities of stone- 
hatchets, scalping-knives, fish-spears, pestles and pot- 
tery, which prove conclusively that the spot iiad been 
occupied by the Indians for many thousands of moons. 
It was in this vicinity, also, that my friend Horace 
Kelly unearthed, two years since, an Indian skull with 
a stone tomahawk by its side — a silent witness to a 
treacherous murder.* On the south side of Fish 
Creek, moreover, between '' Stafford's Bridge " and the 
'* Old Milligan Place," there are, the remains of an- 
cient Indian pottery, within the cavities of which are 
yet found sun-dried and fire-baked vases covered with 
quaint ornamentation, f And if any other testimony 

* I use the word " treacherous" because the hole in the back of the skull shows that 
the blow was struck from behind. Both the skull and tomahawk are in my posses- 
sion. 

t Professor Henry McGuire, under date of July 27, 1874, writes as follows to the 
author in regard to this pottery : " It would seem that after the articles of earthen- 
ware were moulded, they were first sun-dried, then placed in cavities formed in the 
soil, and a gentle fire built within them, which was kept up until all moisture was ex- 
pelled and the vessels had become sufficiently indurated. There is, at the point 
above indicated, an area containing cavities which, to my mind, point with cer- 
tainty to such a conclusion, and for several reasons : ist. The existence of clay in the 
immediate neighborhood. 2d. Fragments of clay pottery, rudely ornamented, are 



QQ REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



were wanting to prove that the Lake was long a fa- 
vorite resort of the Mohawks, it is furnished in an old 
manuscript speech now before me delivered by a Mo- 
hawk to William Penn in 1683, in which Lake Sara- 
toga is particularly mentioned as the '' place where 
the game abounds." 

Having thus mentioned these facts for a better un- 
derstanding of that which is to follow, I come to the 
position Lake Saratoga occupies in the history of the 

State. 

In the spring of 1703, Samson Shelton Broughton, 
Attorney-General of the province of New York, and 
twelve others, obtained from Governor Cornbury a 
license to purchase the " tract of vacant and unap- 
propriated land called by the Indian name of Kayade- 
rosseras." Accordingly, Broughton, in the following 
year, bought of the Mohawks, for a trifling sum, suffi- 
cient land, as the Indians understood it, '* to make a 
small farm." Having thus obtained the land, Brough- 

discemed at various points in the immediate vicinity ; and I am credibly informed 
that, a few years since, some persons engaged in repairing the highway, while re- 
moving earth from a bank exhumed the bones of a person and several clay vases 
containing grains of com having the appearance of being carbonized. This was 
at a point a short distance south of "Stafford's Biidge," on the south side of the 
outlet of Lake Saratoga. These specimens, so valuable to the archaeologist, unfortu- 
nately fell into the hands of unappreciative individuals (with some of whom I have con- 
versed upon the subject), and they have all either been mislaid or destroyed— so that 
all traces of them are lost. 3d. The fact that these fragments are frequently min- 
gled with implements of stone, such as were used by the Red men, would seem to 
establiih conclusively that they were the artificers thereof. The uncouth character 
of the ornamentation and the inartistic forms given to them, judging from the frag- 
ments which I have seen, point also in the same direction, and lend to the subject 
an absorbing interest." 




FIRST SETTLEMENT ON THE KAYADEROSSERAS. 



SETTLEMENT AT LAKE SARATOGA. 



91 



ton, under semblance of his deed, procured from 
Queen Anne, in 1708, a grant of all the land between 
the Hudson and Mohawk rivers, extending from Co- 
hoes Falls to the Third, or, as is now called. Baker's 
Falls, on the Hudson, and containing about seven 
hundred thousand acres. Truly a " small farm " ! 
Owing, however, to the watchfulness of the Indians, 
up to 1764 it had never been surveyed. In process 
of time the Mohawks lost all solicitude regarding it, 
and supposed all claim upon it had been entirely re- 
linquished. In 1764, however, the dispute was re- 
newed v/ith increased bitterness. 




Baker's Falls. 

It happened that in the spring of that year, three 
or four families settled at the confluence of the Kaya- 



02 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



derosseras Creek and Lake Saratoga. These squat- 
ters were discovered about a month after their settle- 
ment by a hunting party of Mohawks, who, incensed 
at the presumption of the whites in settling upon 
their best hunting-grounds, ordered them perempto- 
rily to leave ; and upon their return to their castles 
they waited upon Sir William Johnson and demanded 
that the settlers should be removed, and that the 
claim of the Proprietaries to the Kayaderosseras 
land should be immediately relinquished. Convinced 
of the justice of the demand, Sir William at once 
wrote to Governor Colden, giving an account of the 
fraudulent manner in which the patent had been ob- 
tained, and soliciting his influence in procuring re- 
dress. At the same time he endeavored to prevail on 
the Colonial Assembly to vacate the patent on the 
ground of fraud, and a bill was accordingly intro- 
duced for that purpose. The influence, however, of 
those members who were interested in other patents 
of perhaps the same equivocal origin, and who there- 
fore dreaded its passage as a precedent, defeated the 
bill on several frivolous grounds, among which was, 
that " to vacate it would be to impugn the character 
of the Governor who had granted the patent." Dis- 
appointed in his hopes of obtaining justice from the 
Assembly, Sir William next appealed directly to the 
Council, who, in the spring of the following year 
(1765), directed the Attorney-General, Kempe, to pro- 
ceed against the Proprietaries by the writ of scire 



INFLUENCE OF SIR WM. JOHNSON, 93 

facias. This, however, was not satisfactory to the 
Baronet. '' I must observe to you," he wrote to Gen- 
eral Gage, '* that there is little or no prospect of pro- 
curing justice by a trial on a scire facias^ which I con- 
sider as only proposed at New York, that in case of 
any bad consequences hereafter arising from that 
patent, the people below might affirm that they 
offered to enquire into that fraud, though, in fact, it 
is doing nothing at all ; for they well knew the little 
subterfuges and quirks of the lawyers in any trial at 
common law, they being interested in the decision, 
and a patent being deemed a sufficient title at com- 
mon law, hence it might have been obtained." 

Meanwhile, the cause of the Mohawks was taken up 
by the entire confederacy of the Six Nations, and 
the dissatisfaction of the Indians became so alarming 
that Sir William, in his correspondence with the 
Board of Trade, used his utmost endeavors to have 
the patent vacated by Act of Parliament. At length, 
alarmed at his persistent efforts to obtain redress, and 
dreading lest he should succeed, the Proprietaries 
offered to compromise the matter by relinquishing a 
part of the patent, and paying to the Mohawks a 
certain sum of money. The proposition, however, 
on being submitted to that nation in full council, was 
declined on the ground that the consideration offered 
was too small, and the attempt at compromise failed. 

Thus the matter rested until May of 1768, when 
the Proprietaries, influenced by Sir William Johnson, 



g^ REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



waited upon the Governor, and gave him full power 
to settle the affliir with the Mohawks as he should 
judge best. Meanwhile, by order of the Governor, the 
patent was for the first time carefully surveyed ; and 
toward the close of July, Sir William Johnson, having 
returned by way of Saratoga Springs from the sea- 
side, a conference was again held with the Mohawks, 
when the results of the new survey were laid before 
the Sachems. Both parties being now able to judge 
with certainty what was claimed by each, an amicable 
adjustment was soon reached. By the conditions of 
the agreement, the patentees relinquished all the land 
westward of the Kill, opposite Twektonondo Hill, to the 
north-west head of the Kayaderosseras Creek, and took 
for their north-western boundary a line drawn from the 
head of that creek to the fourth fall o\\ the Hudson 
River;* the Mohawks, on their part, giving up all 
claim to the remainder of the patent, on their receiving 
from the Proprietaries the sum of five thousand dollars. f 
The village of Saratoga Springs lies on that part of 
the Kayaderosseras Patent that fell to the share of 
Rip Van Dam.ij: 

• The Cohoes. 

t The grant was " to her (Queen Anne) loving subjects, Nanning Hermanse, Johan- 
nes Bcekman (great-great-grandfather of the original owner of" Beekman's Woods"), 
Rip Van Dam, Ann Bridges, Mar^- Bickley, Johannes Fisher, Peter Fanconnicr, 
Adrain Hogelandt, John Tudor, Jorris Hogelandt. John Stevens, John Tatham, and 
Sampson Broughlon," and was for all that tract of land situated, lying and being in the 
bounty of Albany (the County of Albany then included Saratoga County, afterward 
Charlotte), called Kayaderosseras, alias Queensborough, 

X The Clutes of old Saratoga are descendants of Van Dam, 



THE lak:e changing form. 



95 



The Lake. 

Lake Saratoga is about five miles in length, with 
an average width of one mile, it being the broadest 
opposite Snake Hill. The Lake is continually chang- 
ing its form, and it may well be questioned whether 
its configuration at the present day at all resembles 




Lake Saratoga. 

that of a century, or even fifty years since. The cur- 
rent of the Kayaderosseras makes itself felt on the 
opposite shore, from which it takes the earth, and 
bringing it back, counter and under-currents deposit 
it on the western bank. Thus while the Lake be- 
tween Ramsdell's and Abell's is continually becoming 
shallower, the eastern bank is continually wearing 



96 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



away. Hence, even in my day, the shore road, lead- 
ing from the bridge to Myers' Lake House has been 
washed away some thirty feet, until now, in high 
water, the road is continually overflowed. Every 
spring Mr. Myers finds it necessary to widen the 
road, and the presumption is — and this always was 
the opinion of the late Dr. Allen — that a century 
hence, the shore, instead of being semi-circular in 
form as it is now, will be nearly straight from the 
base of Chapman's Hill to the bank opposite Moon's 
Lake House.* 



• The " Lake " has recently been rendered yet more attractive by the refined taste 
and good judgment of Mr. Frank Leslie. 



CHAPTER X. 

Lake Saratoga. — Its Legends and Traditions, 

" When the hunter shall sit by the mound, and produce his food at noon, ' some 
warrior rests here,' he will say ; and my fame shall live in his praise." 

OSSIAN. 

CONNECTED with Lake Saratoga is a touching 
Indian legend which undoubtedly has more 
of truth blended with it than is usually the case with 
stories of a similar nature. The legend associates 
itself with the high promontory on the eastern shore, 
now known by the uneuphonious name of *' Snake 
Hill," and is as follows: 

In the autumn of 1693, Count Frontenac, then 
Governor of Canada, accompanied by a party of 
Algonquins and Hurons, left Montreal for the pur- 
pose of descending upon the frontier settlements of 
Schenectady and Albany. On his way to accomplish 
his design, the Count took Lake Saratoga on his 
route, with the intention of capturing a large camp 
of the Mohawks, who had gone thither for their an- 
nual fall hunting. While yet a day's march from the 
Lake, two of the Hurons deserted from the forces of 
the Count, and gave the Mohawks such an appalling 
description of the march, that they dared not remain 
and give battle. 

97 



98 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Yonnondio's* army, they said, was like the leaves 
of the trees— more numerous than the pigeons that 
fly to the north after the season of snows. They 
were armed, they said, with great guns that threw up 
huo-e balls toward the sun,t and they would explode 
and scatter death everywhere. Upon this intelli- 
gence the Sachems gathered into a group around the 
council-Are for consultation. Their eyes, which were 
at first burning with indignation, soon dropped sul- 
lenly to the earth, as they reflected upon the impos- 
sibility of contending against such weapons, while 
their dusky countenances gathered darkness with the 
gloom. Some of the principal chiefs having inter- 
changed a fev/ words in an undertone, there was a 
call to bring Thurensera;]: to the council-fire. A 
dozen young warriors instantly sprang upon their feet 
and bounded toward the great wigwam of the village 
with the swiftness of an arrow. They soon returned, 
bearing upon a rudely-constructed litter an aged 
and venerable-looking chief, whose head had been 
whitened by the snows of more than a hundred 
winters. He had been foremost on the war-path 
and first at the council-fire before the canoes of the 
pale faces had touched the shores which the Great 

*The signification of Yonnondio{aiso spelled Onontio) is Great 3Iouniazn,he'mg a 
translation into Iroquois of the name of the second Governor of Canada, the Cheva- 
lier Montmajjny. The Indians always applied the same name to his successors in 
ofTicc— 7<-j«/V Relation^ 1640: i. 77. 

t Mortars. 

% A name among the Six Nations, signifying " The Dawning of the Light." 



THURENSERA. 



99 



Spirit had given them. The young men treated 
their burden with the utmost care and deference, and 
the aged chieftain was seated at the foot of a tall 
sycamore, against the huge trunk of which he leaned 
for support. A brief but solemn pause ensued, 
during which all eyes were directed toward the vene- 
rable father of the council. At length the venerable 
Sachem raised his head, and looking about upon 
the group of chiefs and warriors gathered anxiously 
around him, he thus spoke : 

" Why have my children brought Thurensera to 
the council-fire^ The Great Spirit will call him to 
his hunting-grounds. Thurensera's eyes are dim, and 
his limbs, no longer like the bending sapling, are stiff 
like the scathed trees of the burnt prairies. He can 
no more bend the strong bow. He cannot go forth 
upon the war-path, or recount the deeds of his fathers 
to the young men at the council-fire. Thurensera is 
a woman. But his father was a great chief, and," 
elevating his voice, he added, ** I can now see him 
upon a cloud fringed with the red lightning and 
beckoning me to come. Why have my children 
called Thurensera, and why do their eyes rest upon 
the ground, and their spirits droop like the hawk 
when struck by the young eagle ? " 

After another pause, and a moment's consultation 
among the chiefs, one of the bravest warriors in- 
formed the sage of the intelligence received from 
Yonnondio's camp, and of the peril of their situation. 



100 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

They had therefore sent to their father for counsel 
in this emergency. 

Once more there was silence — still as the forest 
shades when not a leaf rustles in the breeze nor a 
stick breaks beneath the light tread of the fox. The 
venerable sage hid his furrowed countenance in his 
withered hands, as if deeply engaged in thought, 
while the dark group of chiefs and warriors gathered 
more closely around, all ready to obey his counsel, be 
what it might, and all anxious, as it were, to drink 
in the wisdom that was for the last time, perhaps, to 
flow from his lips. At length the chieftain of more 
than thirteen hundred moons slowly raised his head, 
and spoke as follows : 

'* My children ! This council-fire which the Great 
Spirit first kindled with sparks from the sun must go 
out. The Great Spirit wills it. But the two logs 
will blaze again, and this valley gleam with red light. 
Then shall my children consume the battle in its 
rage, and the spirits of our fathers riding on the 
storm-cloud rejoice ! 

" My children ! You see my head is whitened by 
more than a hundred snows. Listen to my words. 
I have been upon the war-path with your fathers 
and with your fathers' fathers. But the Great Spirit 
commands me to his hunting-grounds, where I shall 
be bounding like the young deer before the setting 
sun. 

*' My children ! A cloud has gathered over our 



SPEECH OF THURENSERA. lOI 

council-fire, and you must fly! Yonnondio is come 
among us with his people like a flock of birds. You 
must not wait till you see the big ball of thunder 
coming to your destruction, or the star of day and 
night that breaks when it falls, to burn your castle 
and wigwams. 

*' My children ! You have been like the lynx on 
the trail, and made the war-path red with the blood 
of your enemies. But you must fly, until joined by 
the Oneydoes, the Cayugas, and the Senekas ; when 
you can come back upon your enemies, and spring 
upon them like the hungry panther. You will spring 
on them when they are asleep, and the fire-balls can- 
not burst upon you, to kill my warriors and burn up 
their wigwams. 

*' My children ! Thurensera will stay to show Yon- 
nondio s palefaces how to die ! Yonnondio shall see 
what a Mohawk can bear without a cry of pain. He 
shall see what his children will have to bear, when my 
sons assemble their warriors and come before his set- 
tlements in their wrath. 

** My children ! When you pass this way, find my 
bones. Bury them deep in the bosom of the earth, 
who is my mother, on the Hill looking toward the 
setting sun,* by the Lake that is beautiful. Put into 
my grave my pipe, my hatchet, and my bow, that I 
may chase the moose and the buffalo in the hunting- 
grounds of the Great Spirit. Put in my canoe that 

♦Snake Hill. 



102 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



is on the beautiful lake, that, when the Great Spirit 
tells me, I may come and look upon my children — I 
may paddle again on the bright waters of Lake Sara- 
toga. I will come when the moon in her fulness 
steals over the lake, to let her light sleep in its calm 
bosom. As I glide onward, the lovers of our young 
men and women will dream of other days, and the 
spirits of the clouds will whisper, ' The grave of the 
old warrior, who taught Yonnondio how to die ! They 
will tell the white man to cross it with a soft step. 

"My children! You must fly I Keep the cove- 
nant-chain of our tribe bright like silver, and let it 
bind }-ou together like strong iron. Put the brand 
to your wigwams, that Yonnondio may get no booty 
but the scalp of Thurensera. Let the rain of heaven 
wash all the bad from your hearts, that we may again 
smoke together in friendship in the Happy Hunting 
grounds of the Great Spirit. Thurensera has no 
more to say." 

The aged chief was listened to throughout with 
the most profound attention. The chiefs and war- 
riors were exceedingly reluctant to leave the vener- 
able Sachem by whose wisdom they had so long been 
guided, and by whose arm so often led to victory ; 
but he was resolute in his purpose, and inflexible in 
his determination. He gathered himself into an atti- 
tude of the most perfect composure, and turning his 
face in the direction from which Frontenac was ex- 
pected, prepared to meet his fate. Meantime, the 



THURENSERA TORTURED. IO3 

Sachems, having hastily completed their arrange- 
ments, took their final leave of their old chieftain, 
fired their wigwams, and disappeared in the thick 
wilderness. 

The Count Frontenac, astonished at the sight of the 
ascending columns of smoke as they rose in curling 
folds towards the sky, moved rapidly forward. But it 
was to obtain an empty conquest. The wigwams of 
the Mohawks were already in ashes. The old chief, 
Thurensera, was found by the trunk of the sycamore, 
seated with the same stoical composure in which he 
had been left ; and Frontenac's Indians — to the eter- 
nal disgrace of that general, be it said — by his per- 
mission had the pleasure of tormenting him. He 
bore their inflictions with unflinching firmness. Not 
a muscle moved, not a limb quivered, not a sigh nor 
a groan escaped him. Finally they stabbed him in 
several places ''Go on, ye tormentors!" he ex- 
claimed, with an energy belonging to other days. 
" The old eaele has received the death-arrow in his 
breast. He will never soar again but in the bright 
skies of the Great Spirit. You cannot harm him. 
The Great Spirit," he continued, " has touched my 
eyes, and I see through the clouds of death the war- 
riors who have raised the war-cry with me in other 
times. They are walking on the winds and playing 
on the clouds. I see the dark waters all must pass. 
These dark waters are the tears shed by the Great 
Spirit for the bad deeds of his children. Go on, ye 



104 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



tormentors — ye Indians who take the scalp for Yon- 
nondio — ye dogs of dogs ! But why stab me with 
the long knife ? You had better take fire, that the 
Frenchmen may know how to die. Tear me to 
pieces; roast me at the war- feast; scatter my ashes 
to the winds! Ye tormentors! Listen to the voice 
of the Manitou, while he bids Thurensera tell what 
is to come upon you. Your race is to be as a river 
dried up — as the dead leaves of the forest when the 
fire has gone over it. The white man who sent Yon- 
nondio over the salt lake, in the big canoe, shall lose 
his power. A zvolf^ is to walk abroad that shall 
scatter the Pale-faces at Quebec like a flock of sheep, 
and drive them out of the Red-man's land. The 
white men, with Cayenguerago, who is our friend, 
shall come over the land like the leaves. The pan- 
ther is bounding to the setting sun ; the bear moves 
slowly off the ground ; the deer and buffalo leap 
over the mountains, and are seen ' no more- The 
forest bows before the white man. The great and 
little trees fall before his big hatchet. The white 
man's wigwams rise like the hill-tops, and are as 
white as the head of the bald eagle. The waters 
shall remain, and when the Red man is no more, 
the names he gave them shall last. The Great Spirit 



• Each of the Six Nations were subdivided into clans or tribes, named the Wolf, 
Deer, Bear, Snipe, Beaver, Heron, Turtle, and Hawk. These tribes were distin- 
guishcd by the totevtoT representation of their respective animals or birds tattoed 
upon the skin. 



DEATH OF THURENSERA. IO5 

has said it.* A hundred warriors are coming to 
lead me on the trail to the happy hunting-grounds. 
Think of me, ye tormentors, when my sons come 
upon you like the chafed panther in his swiftness 
and his strength ! Great Spirit ! I come ! " 

Thus died THURENSERA, with a greatness of soul 
worthy of a Sachem of the Six Nations ! 

But let not the visitor to the " Sorinc^s " form his 
estimate of the aboriginals — among whom was Thu- 
rensera — from the so-called Indians who annually 
come hither. Though occasionally a pure Mohawk 
or Iroquois brave may be found among those at 
Saratoga, yet it is the exception, not the rule. Those 
that congregate at the '' Springs " in summer are 
usually half or quarter breeds, composed of Canadian 
French and Negro blood, having all the vices of the 
Indian with none of his virtues. Of not such stuff 
were made those warriors that King Philip and 
Pontiac led to battle, or Massasoit and Tammany 
instructed in the arts of peace ! 

Another Indian legend that connects itself with 
Lake Saratoga, and which, by the way, is also asso- 
ciated with Snake Hill is, in sentiment, the very 
opposite of the one just related, but is worthy of 
note, especially as the American aboriginals have 
generally been accounted, comparatively, strangers to 
la belle passion. The legend, which is an interesting 

* A most remarkable prophecy in view of the utter ruin of French power in 
America. 



Iq5 reminiscences of SARATOGA. 



Story of love to distraction, and courage to death on 
the part of a young Indian beauty, is called the 
Lovers' Leap. 

It is of later date than that of Thurensera but 
nevertheless, not only descends from remote tradi- 
tion, but was distinctly remembered by those settlers 
who were contemporaneous with Amos Stafford. It 
is as follows : 

During the war of the Six Nations and the Algon- 
quins of the North, a chief of the latter was captured 
by the Mohawks while they were engaged in their 
yearly hunting around Lake Saratoga. The captive, 
though young in years, was famed for his prowess in 
the forest conflict, and nature had been bountiful to 
his person in those gifts of strength and symmetry 
v/hich awaken savage admiration. After a short 
debate, he was condemned to die on the following 
day, by the slow torture of impalement. While he 
was lying in the '' Cabin of Death " — a lodge devoted 
to the reception of condemned prisoners — the daugh- 
ter of the Sachem brought him food,* and struck 
with his manly form and heroic bearing, resolved to 
save him or share his fate. Her bold enterprise was 
formed by the uncertain light of the gray dawn, while 
the solitary sentinel, weary with his night watch, was 
slumbering. Stealing with noiseless tread to the side 
of the young captive, she cut the thongs wherewith 



• The Indians always supply their prisoners with every comfort until the time for 
thdr execution arrives. 



THE LOVERS' LEAP. 



107 



his limbs were bound, and besought him, in breath- 
ing accents, to follow her. The fugitive descended 
the hill near that which is now Ramsdell's cove by a 
woody path conducting to the Lake ; but ere they 
reached the water, an alarm-whoop, wild and shrill, 
was heard issuing from the lips of the waking guard. 
They tarried, not, though thorny vines and fallen 
timber obstructed their way. At length they reached 
the smooth beach, and leaping into a canoe, pre- 
viously provided by the brave and considerate dam- 
sel, they plied the paddle vigorously, steering for the. 
opposite shore. Vain were their efforts. On the 
wind came cries of rage, and the quick tramp of 
savage warriors, bounding over rock and glen in 
fierce pursuit. The Algonquin, with the reckless 
daring of a young brave, sent back a yell of defiance, 
and soon after the plash of oars was heard, and a 
dozen war canoes were cutting the billows in their 
rear. The unfortunate lovers on landing took a trail 
leading in a southerly direction toward Snake Hill. 
The Algonquin, weakened by unhealed wounds, fol- 
lowed his active guide up the acclivity with panting 
heart and flagging pace, while his enemies, with the 
grim old Sachem at their head, drew nearer and 
nearer. At length, finding further attempts at flight 
useless, she diverged from the trail, and conducted 
her lover to the very crest of the hill overlooking the 
lake. With hearts nerved to a high resolve, the 
hapless pair awaited the arrival of their relentless 



I08 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



pursuers. Conspicuous by his eagle plume, towering 
form, and scowling brow, the daughter soon descried 
her inexorable sire leaping from crag to crag below 
her. He paused abruptly when his fiery eye rested 
on the objects of his pursuit. Notching an arrow on 
the string of his tried and unerring bow, he raised his 
sinewy arms, but ere the missile was sent, Wun-nut- 
hay, the Beautiful, interposed her form between her 
father and his victim. In wild, appealing tones she 
entreated her sire to spare the young chieftain, assur- 
ing him that they would leap together from the 
precipice rather than be separated. The stern old 
man, deaf to her supplication and disregarding her 
menace, ordered his followers to seize the fugitive. 
Warrior after warrior darted up the hill, but on 
reaching the top, at the moment when they were 
grasping to clutch the young brave, the lovers, locked 
in fond embrace, flung themselves 

" From the steep rock and perished." 

Snake Hill. 

Snake Hill, with which the two Indian legends just 
narrated are intertwined, has formed the framework 
of a very readable romance from the pen of the 
late Daniel Shepherd, of Saratoga. This name was 
given to it by the early settlers of the town, in conse- 
quence of a formidable den of rattlesnakes that for- 
merly existed about half way up its side. This nest, 
however, was many years since entirely destroyed, so 



ADVENTURE WITH RATTLESNAKES. IO9 

that the tourist may traverse the hill from base to 
summit without fear. A visitor to the " Springs " in 
1810, walked partly up the mountain one morning in 
his slippers, and stopping to gaze at the landscape 
below, was startled by a rustling near his feet. Sud- 
denly, on looking down, he was terrified to find him- 
self surrounded by three or four enormously large 
rattlesnakes. He had no weapon, nor the means of 
obtaining one except at the hazard of his life. As 
the snakes made no attempt to approach him, he had 
sufficient presence of mind to stand perfectly still until 
they crept away, which they soon did, to his no small 
satisfaction. It is well known that the rattlesnake 
seldom meddles with anything but its natural prey 
if unprovoked, but when accidentally trodden upon, 
or pursued, it makes a dreadful and desperate de- 
fence. President Dwight, when visiting Saratoga in 
1820, was informed that a few years previously there 
was a man living near Snake Hill who had the singu- 
lar power and still stranger temerity to catch living 
rattlesnakes in his naked hands, without wounding 
the snakes or being wounded by them. He used to 
accumulate them in great numbers for curiosity and 
for sale. But one evening, arriving at the *' Springs " 
with a pair of these amiable playthings in a box, and 
having disregarded the principles of the temperance 
society, he heedlessly took them out of the box to 
show their docility. Not, perhaps, liking the fami- 
liarity of a tipsy keeper, one of them bit him in the 



no REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



hand, and his death ensued on the following day. 
An accident ver>' similar to this (save in regard to the 
intoxication) occurred in the village in 1855. The 
house in which the man died is still standing, near 
property owned by the late Madame Jumel, and is 
known as the " Snake: House " to this day. 

There is yet another legend connected with Lake 
Saratoga, which is thus related by the late N. P. 
Willis : 

"There is,'* says Willis, '* an Indian superstition 
attached to this Lake, which probably had its source 
in its remarkable loneliness and tranquillity. The 
Mohawks believed that its stillness was sacred to the 
Great Spirit, and that if a human voice uttered a 
sound upon its waters the canoe of the offender 
would instantly sink. A story is told of an English- 
woman, in the early days of the first settlers, who 
had occasion to cross this lake with a party of In- 
dians, who, before embarking, warned her most im- 
pressively of the spell. It was a silent, breathless 
day, and the canoe shot over the smooth surface of 
the lake like an arrow. About a mile from the shore, 
near the centre of the lake, the woman, willing to 
convince the Indians of the weakness of their super- 
stition, uttered a loud cry. The countenances of the 
Indians fell instantly to the deepest gloom. After a 
minute's pause, however, they redoubled their exer- 
tions, and in frowning silence drove the light bark 
like an arrow over the waters. They reached the 



AN INDIAN LEGEND. 1 1 1 

shore in safety, and drew up the canoe, \yhen the 
woman ralHed the chief on his creduHty. * The Great 
Spirit is merciful,' answered the scornful Mohawk, 
* he knows that a white woman cannot hold her 
tongue ! 

The author, some years since, related the above to 
the poet, John G. Saxe, and suggested that he should 
work it up as he alone could. The result was the 
following little gem, which is here reproduced : 

A lady stands beside the silver lake ; 

"What," said the Mohawk, " wouldst thou have me do?'* 
" Across the water, sir, be pleased to take 

Me and my children in thy bark canoe." 

" Ah ! " said the Chief, " thou knowest not, I think, 

The legend of the lake : hast ever heard 
That in its wave the stoutest boat will sink 

If any passenger should speak a word ? " 

** Full well we know the Indian's strange belief,'* 

The lady answered, with a civil smile ; 
" But take us o'er the water, mighty Chief; 

In rigid silence we will sit the while." 

Thus they embarked ; but ere the little boat 

Was half across the lake, the woman gave 
Her tongue its wonted play ! But still they float 

And pass in safety o'er the utmost wave. 

Safe on the shore, the warrior looked amazed, 

Despite the stoic calmness of his race ; 
No word he spoke, but long the Indian gazed 

In moody silence in the woman's face. 



112 REMhVISCEXCES OF SARATOGA. 



" What ihink you now? " the lady gaily said ; 

" Safely to land your frail canoe is brought ! 
No harm, you see, has touched a single head ; 

So superstition ever comes to naught ! " 

Smiling, the Mohawk said, "Our safety shows 

That God is merciful to ola and young ; 
Thanks unto the Great Spirit — well he knows 

The pale-faced woman cannot hold her tongue ! " 

Tradition further relates that in the summer of 
1833 there was a gay party on Lake Saratoga, fisliing 
and airing their wit under the auspices of a belle of 
some fame and authority. The boat had been pulled 
about two hundred yards from the shore, into water 
five or six feet in depth, and the ladies sat at the 
ends of their rods watching their floats, which lay on 
the surface of the water like sleeping flies, but, as 
the old fisherman in the bow could have told them, 
laughing loud enough to frighten even the eels from 
their appetites. After several hours' bobbing without 
bite or nibble, the belle above mentioned discovered 
that her hook was caught at the bottom. Rising in 
the stern to draw it up more easily, and the rest of 
the party leaning over at the same time, she lost her 
balance, and in falling overboard upset the boat. 
For the first minute it was a scene of some terror. 
The gentlemen were very near drowning the ladies, 
and the ladies the gentlemen ; but the old fisherman 
— a tall fellow who knew the ground, and was just 
within his depth— quietly walked about picking them 



A LAKE IDYL. II3 



up one by one, and, giving them a hold on the in- 
verted gunwale, pushed them safely to shore sus- 
pended around the boat like herrings on a hoop. 
Nobody caught cold — other people had caught fish — 
they dined merrily at Avery's Lake House, and the 
principal actress in the scene was ever afterward 
known by the sobriquet of the '' Diving Belle." 

A Lake Idyl. 

But Lake Saratoga has not always been associated 
with fashionable frivolity. Some years ago the late 
Dr. Baldwin — so long the beloved pastor of the Bald- 
win Place Baptist Church in Boston — was on the lake 
with a party of clerical friends, among whom was the 
late Rev. Francis Wayland — and while out on the 
water he composed, and his companions then and 
there sang, that well-known and beautiful hymn, the 
first verse of which is : 

" Oh ! whence does this union arise, 
That hatred is conquered by love ; 
It fastens our souls in such ties, 
That nature and time can't remove." 



CHAPTER XL 

Lake Saratoga. — Its Early Piscatory History^ 

'• We care not who says, 
And intends it dispraise, 
That an angler to a fool is next neighbor ; 
Let him prate — what care we ? 
We're as honest as he ; 
And so let him take that for his labor." 

Cotton. 

Formerly, Lake Saratoga was noted for its re- 
markable fishing* and during tiie interregnum be- 
tween the first and second battles of Behmus Heights, 
when the British army were in want of food, the In- 
dians were in the habit of supplying General Bur- 
goyne's table with trout of a delicious flavor caught 
in its bright waters. Shad and herring, also, were in 
the habit, before the mills were erected at the junc- 
tion of Fish Creek and the Hudson, of running up 
into the Lake and even so far as Greenfield, by the 
Kayaderosseras Creek. Up to the year 1825, the 
Lake was filled with trout ; and even so late as 1832, 
the late Col. Wm. L. Stone, writing from the Springs 
to his paper^ the New York Commercial Advertiser, 
states that a few of these fish were yet occasionally 
taken. But pickerel from Sand Lake having been in- 



OSIVEGO OR BLACK BASS. 1 1 5 

troduced by Squire Rogers, of Mud Mill, into the 
Lake in 1824, the trout very soon vanished. Indeed, 
it is to the presence of the former fish — known as the 
'' fresh-water shark," and the sworn enemy of the 
trout — that we owe the loss of that fish rather than to 
any other cause. The last trout that was taken in 
the Lake was, I believe, in 1863, at the foot of Snake 
Hill. Trout, however, are yet occasionally taken in 
Lake Lonely or the Little Lake ; but these are not 
really inhabitants of that sheet of water, but come 
down from the two creeks that empty into it. The 
last I saw taken there was by the late E. R. Stevens 
in the winter of 1866. Other fish, however, abound. 
The muscalinga, which were put into the Lake in 
1855, have now become comparatively plentiful and 
of good size — some of which have already been taken 
weighing thirty pounds — while as to the Oswego or 
Black bass, which in 1849 were introduced into the 
Lake from Black Pond (Corinth) by the late Washing- 
ton Putnam and Amos Stafford, assisted by William 
Carragan, one was caught by George Crumb in 1857, 
at the mouth of the Kayaderosseras, weighing nine 
pounds and four ounces. And here, in passing, let 
me remark that it is no penance to keep a short vol- 
untary Lent where one can get such fish. Once, 
when at Myers', I ordered a few bass to be broiled. 
Gentle traveller! if thou art wise when thou goest 
thither, thou wilt do likewise. A black bass of Lake 
Saratoga is so delicious — as Charles Lamb says of a 



I J 5 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



canvas-back duck— the eating of one forms an era in 
a man's existence ! 

The Lake also has been long famous for its yellow 
perch {Perca flavescens). This fish, though not having 
the reputation of some others, has, notwithstanding, 
stood the test of time, and has been as little subjected 
to the mutations of fashion, perhaps, as any one of the 
finny tribe. It was highly esteemed by the Romans, 
as we are informed by Aristotle, and its praises were 
sung by Ausonius: 

*' Nee te delicias mensarum, perca silebo 
Amnigenos inter pisces dignande marinis ! " 

Frank Forrester (William Henry Herbert) in his 
authoritative work, The Fish ayid Fishing of the Unit- 
ed States, awards the palm to Lake Saratoga as 
being par excellence the haunt of the perch both for 
size and delicacy of flavor — some of which, he adds, 
"are frequently taken weighing three or four pounds." 
In the cabinet of the late Dr. Allen there is a perch 
that the writer, in company with William S. Merse- 
reau, now of New York City, and John L. Barbour, 
caught near Stafford's Bridge, and which, when first 
taken out of the water, weighed two pounds. Mr. 
John Morey also has, I understand, taken them in 
the deep water opposite Snake Hill, of even greater 
weight. 

But the glory of Lake Saratoga, as a place for fine 
sport, has, I am afraid, departed for ever. The late 



PISCATORIAL PIRACY. II7 

Amos Stafford and Major Edward Fitch have both 
told me that formerly they thought nothing of taking 
two hundred pounds of pickerel in a day. In the 
winter of i860, Mr. Wm. H. Stevens (eldest son of 
the late E. R.) and the writer took one hundred 
pounds of pickerel opposite '* Fitch's ditch " in one 
afternoon, and would have taken more had not 
Stevens' horse, breaking through the ice, compelled 
the fishermen to turn their attention to catching a 
fish of quite another kind ! Now, however, unless 
Seth Green has been ** around," I defy any man to 
say that with the best of skill, the most approved 
appliances, and under the most favorable circum- 
stances, he can take thirty pounds of pickerel in a 
day's fishing. 

The cause of this state of things is to be ascribed 
entirely to the pernicious practice of ** spearing " and 
fishing with '' set lines " and '' nets," and although 
the midnight piscatory assassin may say to the fish in 
the words of an old song : 

"Why flyest thou away with fear? 
Trust me, there's naught of danger near, 
I have no wicked hooke," 

yet this " netting" is a custom not only fraught with 
tenfold more danger to the finny tribe than legiti- 
mate fishing, but is one that has continued now for 
many years, notwithstanding all endeavors by law 
and otherwise to put a stop to it. Hon. George S. 



ii8 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Batcheller, in the winter of 1873-4, with praiseworthy 
thoughtfulness, procured the passage of a law to pre- 
vent fishing with nets in Lake Saratoga. It will do 
no good. Such a remedy has been tried repeatedly, 
but without avail. The difficulty is that no one, even 
of those who are most interested in the matter, care 
to act as informers, when the penalty for so doing 
vvill be the girdling of his pet orchard, or the burning 
of liis hay-ricks. Yet this business of " set-lines and 
nets" is producing incalculable mischief, not only in 
this beautiful lake, but in others near at hand by rail, 
that help to build up our village. Not a thousand 
miles from Saratoga is a lovely lake that three years 
since abounded, yea, fairly teemed, with pickerel. 




Liizerite Lake. 



Two years since the practice of catching them by 
"set-night-lines" was introduced; and now he is a 
very lucky angler who, where once he could catch by 
legitimate fishing fifty pounds in a morning, can get 
five pounds. And this condition of thines will con- 



yESSE FRAZER'S FISH STORY. 1 19 

tinue so long as the temptation exists, in spite of all 
efforts to the contrary. All things, however, they 
say, have their compensations ; and if Lake Saratoga 
can no longer boast of its fine fishing, perhaps the 
loss will be more than made up by its being the finest 
sheet of water in America for the holding of inter- 
collegiate and national regattas. Let us hope so, at 
least. 

But I fear that in speaking so at length of fishings 
I am trenching on the province of my friend Jesse 
Frazer, who, as is well known, is considered the 
authority on all piscatory matters connected with 
Lake Saratoga and its vicinity. Nor, perhaps, can I 
make the amende Jionorable to him better than by 
leaving the sober domain of history for romance — for 
are not " fish stories " and romance synonymous ? — 
and relating a most remarkable adventure of Frazer 
on Lake Saratoga. 

Jesse Frazer s Fish Story. 

The early dawn of a spring morning in 1 861 found 
Frazer and McCaffrey leisurely floating down the 
Kayaderosseras " spinning " for that ** Prince of Game 
Fishes," the black bass. On coming opposite a huge 
boulder, Frazer ** struck " a fish which broke off the 
hook and snell and escaped. A few rods farther along, 
and near an old tree-top, he had another ** strike " — • 
this fish also breaking away and carrying with him 
the barb of the hook. Not having another hook, they 



120 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



went down to the mouth of the creek, where, build- 
in<T a fire, Frazer heated and bent up the broken 
shank, tempering it with water. " Now," says Jesse 
to ** Mac," "on going back, I shall catch those two 
fish. They both will prove to be bass ; the one by 
the tree-top will weigh five pounds and two ounces, 
and the first one I struck by the boulder will' weigh 
six pounds three ounces and a half." Sure enough, 
the tree-top reached, Frazer caught a bass with the 
barb in his gills, that weighed five pounds and two 
ounces. But, more astounding still, when the boulder 
was passed, he caught another bass in which was 
found the first hook and snell, and which weighed 
exactly six pounds three ounces and a half, neither 
less nor more ! McCaffrey, believing himself in the 
presence of a conjurer or a magician instead of an 
humble follower of Izaak Walton, leaped ashore ; nor 
could he ever be persuaded again to try his luck with 
so ** uncanny" a companion. 

" I know not of the truth, d'ye see ; 
I tell the tale as told to me." 



CHAPTER XII. 

How Pete Francis Fiddled to the Wolves — A Reminiscence 
of the old Fisherman of Lake Saratoga. 

" His net old fisher George long drew, 

Shoals upon shoals he caught, 

'Till death came hauling for his due 

And made poor George his draught. ' 

Death fishes on through various shapes. 

In vain it is to fret ; 

Nor fish nor man escapes 

Death's all-enclosing net." 

Old Epitaph, 

PETER FRANCIS — or, as he was familiarly called, 
" Pete " Francis, one of the old landmarks or 
rather *' institutions " of Saratoga /«r excellence — was 
a half-breed Indian of the St. Regis tribe. He lived 
in a small cottage on the southwest shore of Lake 
Saratoga, and to this little cottage it was the custom 
of epicures to make regular pilgrimages, for no one 
— so they all agreed — could cook a fish as delicately 
and serve it as temptingly as *' Pete." When Pete 
Francis cooked' the Lake Saratoga bass, fresh from 
the cold, translucent depths whence he had lured 
them with a skill that none could equal, criticism 
became dumb, and the appetite enjoyed a feast that 
lingered long like the pleasant memory of some in- 
describable ecstasy. '* Pete," like all great geniuses, 
was eccentric and peculiar. With strong likes and 



122 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



dislikes, he had a keen perception of character, and 
was a great favorite with his distinguished- patrons, 
among whom he numbered governors, judges, mem- 
bers of Congress, and hosts of connoisseurs of all 
degrees of note and prominence. Pete was started 

in business 
some thirty 
years ago by 
the late 
Hon. James 
M.Cook, and 
though he 
was hand- 
^^ somely re- 
munerated 
for his many 
years of un- 
rivalled ca- 
tering, yet, 

like Daniel Webster, he never knew what it was 
to be wealthy. No bass ever escaped his clutch 
when once it was hooked, but dollars somehow 
slipped through his fingers with maiVellous celerity. 
Upon first coming into this region he was, when 
quite young, employed by that renowned French 
caterer and keeper of the old Sans Souci Hotel at 
Ballston — Andrew Berger — and by him he was taught 
to prepare fish in a manner in which, I believe, he 
, has never been excelled. But to my story. 




Pete Francis^ First Cabin. 



PETE FRANCIS. 



123 



It was in the early dawn of a delicious summer 
inorning in 1855, that a party, among whom were the 
late E. R. Stevens, John S. Leake, Clarence S. Bate, 
of Kentucky, and the writer, drove up to the cottage 
of Francis, with the intention of fijst breakfasting 
with him, and afterwards trying their luck with that 
prince of game-fish — second not even to the trout — 
the Oswego or black bass. Pete was delighted with 
his visitors ; and with the exception that he waited 
on the party barefooted — a peculiarity which, I be- 
lieve, will be remembered by many — did the honors 
of host, cook, and waiter in the most approved style. 
The plentiful breakfast of corn-bread, bacon, and bass, 
garnished by a tin coffee-pot of ample dimensions, 
being over, Francis reached down a long bass-rod 
from the rafters, and began certain preparations 
fraught with danger to the finny inhabitants of the 
lake. The reel was carefully examined, the screws 
tightened, the cogs oiled ; and the keen eye of the 
veteran fisherman glittered with an ominous lustre as 
its glance rested on the destructive engine. While he is 
still intent on his work, let me sketch a few of his char- 
acteristics gathered in an observation of many years. 

His wiry hair, tall form, and bony limbs indicated 
I an active frame, inured to hardships ; his piercing eye 
and high cheek-bones evinced the keenness and reso- 
luteness of his mind. He was adventurous, frank, 
and social — boastful, credulous, illiterate, and at 
times wonderfully addicted to the marvellous. His 



124 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



imacrinatlon was a warm and fruitful soil, in which 
'' tall oaks from little acorns grew," and his vocabu- 
lary was overstocked with superlatives. Pete was 
generally friendly, courteous, and considerate ; and 
a better tempered fellow never handled fishing- 
pole. But occasionally he would dwell upon his own 
prowess with the enthusiasm of a devotee ; and at 
the climax of his oratorical display, he would spring 
into the air, and after uttering a yell worthy of the 
stoutest Winnebago, swear that he was "■ the best 
man in the country," and ** could whip his weight in 
wild-cats " ; he was *' not afraid of no man," and 
finally, he would urge, with no gentle asseveration, 
his ability to " ride through a crab-apple orchard on 
a streak of lightning." For the most part, however, 
Pete was a quiet, good-natured soul, strolling about 
with a subdued aspect, a drawling and deliberate 
gait, in a state of entire freedom from restraint, re- 
flection and want, and without any impulse strong 
enough to call forth his latent manhood save — and 
with this solitary exception — when he had hooked a 
five-pound bass at the end of his line. Then, presto ! 
what a change ! His muscles would stiffen, his eyes 
sparkle, his nostrils dilate, and his whole frame fairly 
quiver with emotion. 

Breakfast over, we sallied forth to the Lake. Here, 
however, ensued a council of war. As my readers 
doubtless are aware, a light wind is considered a sine 
qua non for good fishing, especially that of bass— the 



ADVENTURE WITH WOLVES. 12$ 

fish we were after. But during our meal the breeze, 
which at first promised so finely, had died completely 
away ; and the sun now shone out hot and beat down 
fiercely upon our heads and the glassy waters at our 
feet. Pete at once declared that it would be useless 
to " try our luck " under these circumstances, at least 
with any prospect of success ; and accordingly we 
voted to return into the cottage and listen to a con- 
tinuation of the story of adventure with which our 
host had regaled us at breakfast. We therefore re- 
sumed our seats, and while Pete wove a fyke net for 
himself, he spun for ourselves the following story of 
how he once fiddled to a party of wolves in the St. 
Regis country many years before. The language of 
the narrative is* of course our own. 

Wolves, gentlemen, said Pete, are ugly customers, 
especially when prowling around in packs or pressed 
by hunger. They are surly, unsocial, and untamable 
animals ; and under even the most favorable circum- 
stances, rarely associating together unless compelled 
through hunger or for offensive war — and for the most 
part living singly, like bachelors — forming no attach- 
ments and showing no kindnesses to any one. But 
whether alone or in troops, when their necessities are 
urgent, they become reckless, braving every danger 
and facing certain destruction. The black wolf of 
America is the most ferocious — the stoutest bull-dogs 
being no match for them, and not only have women 
and children, but men fallen victims to their rapacity. 



,26 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



It appeared on one occasion that '' Pete," who, 
though by no means a Paganini, was a tolerable fid- 
dler—had been kept out rather later than usual at a 
winter dance, and was wending his way homeward 
just in the gray of the morning. While crossing an 
old '' clearing " near the edge of the woods, bounding 
which stood a deserted and dilapidated log-house, he 
was set upon by a large pack of wolves from all direc- 
tions, like a swarm of Cossacks upon a straggling 
platoon of Napoleon's grenadiers. He rushed with 
all speed into the hut, the door of which was wide 
open to receive him, but positively refused to be 
sluit to keep out the foe who now pressed so closely 
upon him, filling the air with their bowlings, that he 
was obHged to spring upon a beam to prevent being 
torn to pieces. But the wolves, sorely pressed for a 
breakfast, were not slow in climbing up the-logs after 
him, and he would most assuredly have formed their 
morning banquet but for a bright thought. He had 
somewhere seen the hackneyed rhapsody of the poet 
— " music hath charms to soothe the savage breast " 
— or perhaps he had heard repeated the passage from 
Prior's Solomon : 

" Often our seers and poets have confest 
Tliat music's force can lame the furious breast, 
Can make the wolf, or foaming boar, restrain 
His rage — the lion drop his crested mane, 
Attentive to the song." 

Thus beleaguered, Pete determined to try the effect 



ADVENTURE WITH WOLVES. 12/ 

of sweet sounds upon their unsophisticated ears, and 
thereupon struck up the brisk tune of *' Yankee Doo- 
dle " on his Holland fiddle. The effect Avas magical. 
The party of Chateaubriand were not more success- 
ful in charming the rattlesnake with a flute at Niag- 
ara. The wolves were no longer bristling, and howl- 
ing with rage ready to devour him, but became as 
silent as so many Scotchmen at the ballad of " Robin 
Adair." But poor Pete ! He would much rather 
have fiddled for forty contra-dances than a single 
party of wolves, since no sooner did he cease to fiddle 
than they recommenced hostilities. The weather 
was cold and his fingers were too much benumbed to 
allow him to traverse the strings. But no matter. 
His unwelcome audience were inexorable, and he 
was obliged either to allow himself to be eaten, 
or to keep on fiddling. I have heard mention of 
the weariness of the fiddler's elbow ; but never 
did elbow ache like Pete Francis' on that morn- 
ing ; and what added to his perplexity was the 
giving way of his instrument. Catgut and horse- 
hair will not last for ever ; and string after string 
had snapped asunder, until the bass was the last 
remaining, and the wolves began to manifest less 
satisfaction for the one note, so long drawn out but 
not '' in linked sweetness." Just at this interesting 
crisis, however, a neighbor and some lumbermen ap- 
peared with an ox-team, and the wolves thereupon 



128 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



beat a retreat — equally precipitate and welcome to 
their prisoner. 

This adventure of Pete had made us as ** sharp- 
set " as the wolves; and after discussing another bass 

cauc^ht from a tank near the cottage — we returned 

to Saratoga. 

Years after, in the summer of i860, I met Bate in 
the depths of the Mammoth Cave. ** Don't you 
wish," he said to me, ^* that our friend ' Pete ' was 
here to fiddle for us now? What echoes he would 
awaken ! " Alas, ' Pete ' will fiddle no more ! * 



* Peter Francis died in the spring of 1874. Those, however, who have been in the 
habit of visiting at Peter's during the summer season will still find Mrs. P'rancis at 
the cottage, ready to wait upon all who may favor her with a call. I will venture to 
say they will not go away hungry ; while, at the same time, they will help feed the 
widow and the fatherless. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Bear Swamp: Us Hiitnan and Brute Inhabitants, — How 
Dobson Treed the Bear. — Crabby the Astrologer. 

" Yonder is the wolf." 
"Are these thy bears?" 

" So looks the panther." 

Shakspere. 

STRETCHING around the village of Saratoga 
Springs, on its eastern side, in a semicircular 
form, and reaching from the old Dunning Street Road 
on the south to the ridge leading to Wilton on the 
north, is a wide belt of low, marshy land known as 
the " Bear Swamp." Although it is now being gradu- 
ally drained and cleared up, it still retains the same 
general features that characterized it in the early 
settlement of the country. At that time, as the 
visit of Mrs. Dwight to Saratoga in 1789 shows and 
as the stories told me by the settlers or their sons 
corroborate, the region now being described was most 
remarkable for the number and variety of the savage 
and wild animals it contained. It undoubtedly fur- 
nished a large portion of the game which caused Lake 
Saratoga to be so well known to the Six Nations, as 
** the place where game abounds " ; and after the coun- 
try was comparatively settled up, it still presented fine 



130 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



opportunities for hunting both the larger and smaller 
varieties of animals. Thus it naturally came to pass 
that this section of country soon became a rich mine 
whence were drawn stories both of strange and comi- 
cal adventure. Nor did animals alone figure in these 
traditions. Many were the wild and weird tales told 
of the residents of the swamp long before the present 







Tenants of Bear Swatnp. 

inhabitants of the country, or even their fathers, were 
born. Indeed, by the whole country round, '' Bear 
Swamp " was regarded as a terra incognita filled with 

*' Gorgons vast and chimeras dire," 
and looked upon very much as the Black Forest is by 
the German peasant who is unfortunately obliged to 
pass through it after nightfall. And in those early 
days when naught was before the backwoodsman save 



DOBSON'S ADVENTURE. 



131 



hard work, any little adventure which beguiled the 
time around the huge fireplace of a winter's evening, 
was, like the Sagas of the Norseman, sure to be hand- 
ed down from father to son, preserving, moreover, 
oftentimes more of truth than is usual with tradition 
generally. One of these, which is of a humorous 
rather than a tragical nature, is the following : 

Among the earliest settlers in " Bear Swamp," about 
1790, was a Vermonter, by the name of Dobson — a 
large, resolute, and athletic man. Returning one 
evening from a fruitless hunt after his vagrant cows, 
which, according to custom in new countries, had been 
turned into the woods to procure their own subsist- 
ence from the rank herbage of the early summer, just 
before emerging from the forest upon the clearing of 
the worthy Mr. Joseph Sleeper, he saw a large bear 
descending from a lofty hemlock, where he had been 
in quest probably of honey. A bear ascends a tree 
much more expertly than he descends it — being 
obliged to come down stern foremost. Dobson did 
not very well like to be joined in his evening walk by 
such a companion, and without reflecting what he 
should do with the ''varmint" afterwards, he ran up 
to the tree on the opposite side from the animal's 
body, and just before the bear reached the ground, 
seized him firmly by both his fore-paws. Bruin 
growled and gnashed his tusks, but he soon dis- 
covered that his paws were in the grasp of paws 
equally iron-strung with his own. Nor could he use 



132 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



his hinder claws to disembowel his antagonist, as the 
manner of the bear is, inasmuch as the trunk of the 
tree was between them. But Dobson's predicament, 
as he was endowed with rather the most reason, was 
worse yet. He could no more assail the bear than 
the bear could assail him. Nor could he venture to 
loosen his hold, since the presumption was that Bruin 
would not make him a very gracious return for thus 
unceremoniously taking him by the hand. The twi- 
light was fast deepening into darkness, and 'his posi- 
tion was far less comfortable than it otherwise would 
have been at the same hour surrounded by his wife 
and children at the supper-table, to say nothing of the 
gloomy prospect for the night. Still, as Joe Sleeper's 
house was not far distant, he hoped to be able to call 
him to his assistance. But his lungs, though none of 
the weakest, were unequal to the task ; and although 
he hallooed and bawled the live-long night, making 
the woods and the welkin ring again, he succeeded no 
better than did Glendower of old in caUing spirits 
from the vasty deep. It was a wearisome night for 
Dobson. Such a game of hold fast he had never 
been engaged in before. Bruin, too, was probably 
somewhat worried, although he could not describe 
his sensations in English— albeit he took the regular 
John Bull method of making known his dissatisfac- 
tion—that is to say, he growled incessantly. But 
there was no let-go in the case, and Dobson was 
therefore under the necessity of holding fast until it 



DOBSON AND JOE SLEEPER. 133 



seemed to his clenched and aching fingers as though 
the bear's paws and his own had grown together. 

As day-light returned, and the smoke from Mr. 
Sleeper's chimney began to curl up gracefully, though 
rather dimly, in the distance, Dobson again repeated 
his cries for succor; and his heart was soon gladdened 
by the appearance of his worthy but inactive neigh- 
bor, who had at last been attracted by the voice 
of the impatient sufferer, bearing an axe upon his 
shoulder. Dobson had never been so much rejoiced 
at seeing Mr. Sleeper before, albeit he was a very 
kind and estimable neighbor. 

'* Why don't you make haste, Mr. Sleeper, and not 
be lounging along at that rate, when you see a 
fellow-Christian in such a kettle of fish as this? ** 

"I vum ! Is that you, Mr. Dobson, up a tree 
there ! And was it you I hearn hallooing so last 
night? I guess you ought to have your lodging for 
nothing, if you've stood up agin the tree all night." 

" It's no joke, though, I can tell: you, Mr. Joe 
Sleeper ; and if you had hold of the paws of the black 
varmint all night, it strikes me you'd think you'd 
paid dear enough for it. But if you hearn me calling 
for help in the night, why didn't you come and see 
what was the trouble ? " 

" Oh! I was jest going tired to bed after laying up 
log-fence all day, and I thought I'd wait till morning, 
and come out bright and airly. But if I'd known 
'twas you — " 



,^. REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



** Known 'twas me!" replied Dobson, bitterly. 
*' You knew 'twas somebody who had flesh and 
blood too good for these plaguy black varmints, 
though ; and you know there's been a smart sprin- 
kle of bears about the settlement all the spring." 

" Well, don't be in a huff. Tommy. It's never too 
late to do good. So hold tight now, and don't let 
the tarnal critter get loose, while I split his head 
open." 

"No, no," said Dobson. ''After holding the beast 
here all night, I think I ought to have the satisfac- 
tion of killing him. So you just take hold of his 
paws here, and I will take the axe and let a streak 
of daylight into his skull about the quickest." 

The proposition being a fair one, Mr. Sleeper was 
too reasonable a man to object. He was no coward 
either ; and he thereupon stepped up to the tree 
and cautiously taking the bear with both his hands, 
relieved honest Dobson from his predicament. The 
hands of the latter, though sadly stiffened by the 
tenacity with which they had been clenched for so 
rnany hours, were soon brandishing the axe, and he 
apparently made all preparations for giving the 
deadly blow — and deadly it w^ould have been had he 
struck, since, like the sons of Zeruiah, Dobson needed 
to strike but once. But to the surprise of Sleeper he 
did not strike ; and to his further consternation, 
Dobson swung the axe upon his shoulder and 
marched away, whistling as he went, with as much 



MRS. BARHYDT AND THE BEAR. 1 35 

apparent indifference as the other had shown when 
coming to his relief. 

It was now Sleeper's turn to make the forest vocal 
with his cries. In vain he raved, and called, and 
threatened. Dobson walked on and disappeared, 
leaving his friend as sad a prospect for his breakfast 
as he himself had had for his supper. Hour after 
hour passed away, and Sleeper still found himself at 
bo-peep with Sir Bruin. In the course of the after- 
noon, however, when Dobson supposed that the 
lesson he was teaching had been thoroughly learned 
by his pupil, and when he thought the latter would 
willingly forget his resentment for the sake of succor, 
the sturdy Yankee returned, and by a single blow 
relieved both bear and man from their troubles in the 
same instant. Sleeper thought rather hard of Dobson 
for some time afterward, but no real breach of friend- 
ship ensued, and, indeed, the two borderers became 
subsequently better friends than before; 

Mis. Barhydt and the Bear. 

I myself have never had any particular liking for 
bears, and, like the Indian mentioned by Sir John 
Franklin, I have always been disposed in my hunts in 
the Adirondacks, either to let them "severely alone," 
or else treat them with marked civility. " O bear! " 
exclaimed the Indian when a huge one — the Indian 
was unarmed at the time — came and seated himself 
near his lodge, '' I never did you any harm ; I have 



136 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



always had the highest respect for you and your 
relations, and never killed any of them except 
through necessity. Go away, good bear, and let me 
alone, and I promise not to molest you." 

Not so, however, felt Mrs. Barhydt, the wife of an old 
settler who at that time lived on the edge of the " Bear 
Swamp," near the site of the villa built by Dr. Childs, 
a few rods east of the present race-course. She was 
a woman of pluck — of much the same stuff that the 
Revolutionary dames were made of — as the following 
will show. One afternoon, while her husband was 
absent, a large bear came in through the open door 
of the log-house and leisurely walked up to where a 
neighbor's babe was sleeping in its cradle. Mrs. 
Barhydt, turning round, saw the bear; whereupon, in 
her excitement, forgetting the old Queen Anne's 
musket that hung loaded over the fire-place, she 
seized a large case-knife which she had just used in 
cutting up some pork, and after a desperate struggle 
succeeded in despatching the unwelcome visitor. The 
little infant thus saved, perhaps, from an early and 
frightful death, grew up to be one of the most 
respected residents of Saratoga Springs, and she is 
now, or was two or three years since, living in 
the city of New York. As for the bear itself, Mrs. 
liarhydt was wont to remark that the affair was really 
" quite providential," since the animal furnished them 
with fresh meat for several weeks — an article which 
they had been out of for quite a long time. 



ADVENTURE WITH A PANTHER. 1 37 

Barhydt aiid the Pajither. 

The American panther or puma {felis concolor) is 
the most ferocious and dangerous animal that infests 
our forests. There was '* a smart chance" of them, 
as they say in Missouri, thirty years ago on the head 
waters of the Delaware and Susquehanna ; but, like 
the poor Indian, they have mostly been driven from 
their own territories deeper into the wilderness. The 
panther is a beautiful animal in form, of untamable 
ferocity, and insatiable in its thirst for blood. Noth- 
ing can inspire a border settlement with greater 
terror, save the war-whoop of the Indian, than the 
knowledge that a panther has been heard screaming 
in the neighborhood. The Ishmaelite of the forest, 
he makes war upon everything ; and such is his swift- 
ness of movement, and the agility with which he 
climbs the trees, and springs from one to another in 
pursuit of his prey, that few animals can escape him. 
The panther, is, perhaps, the most treacherous of the 
cat tribe ; fierce, rapacious, and cruel, and entirely 
destitute of those noble traits which have been some- 
times awarded to the lion. 

Between the bear and the panther a war of exter- 
mination has been waged almost from the period of 
their release from the ark at Ararat. An incident in 
point occurred in the experience of the early settler 
Barhydt (husband of Mrs. Barhydt) shortly after his 
immigration into this section of the country. The 



138 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



adventure, as was witnessed by Mr. Barhydt, was re- 
lated by him as follows : 

A large bear having scented out the lair of a 
panther, came upon it in the absence of the old one, 
and destroyed her young. Bruin very well knew 
that for this invasion of a private dwelling, and the 
murderous deed committed therein, he should be 
compelled to fight. The panther would soon return 
and be upon his track ; and as well might an alder- 
man think of waddling away from an antelope as a 
clumsy bear from such a feline pursuer. The ag- 
gressor, therefore, lost no time by a futile attempt at 
retreat ; but like a skilful general forthwith set about 
securing the most advantageous position for a battle. 
And this he selected with the skill of a French engi- 
neer. Crossing a deep ravine from the direction of 
the panther's lair, Bruin took a deliberate survey of 
the ground, and at length perched himself high on 
the opposite bank beneath a shelving rock, and so 
completely covered in his position that he could only 
be attacked in front. Here he raised himself upon 
his haunches, and calmly awaited the onset. It was 
not long before the screams of the bereaved panther 
were heard, and she presently made her appearance 
upon the opposite verge of the ravine. Her eyes 
glared upon Bruin, who, nothing daunted, looked 
fiercely back upon her. At length, maddened with 
rage, the panther sprang with unerring precision upon 
the bear, but was received by a blow from one of his 



A PANTHER SHOT. 13Q 



tremendous paws which knocked her back into the 
valley, Bruin still keeping his position,- though with 
the loss of an eye. The panther rallied, selected a 
new starting point, and, bristling fiercely, sprang again 
and was received in the same undaunted manner. 
The attack and defence, with wild screams and surly 
growls, continued for some time, until at length the 
panther succeeded in planting his talons so deeply in 
the body of the bear as to prevent another separation 
until the contest should be decided. The husf was 
now mutually desperate, and the conflict terrible. 
The blood streamed from each — now the jaw of the 
one was in the mouth of the other, while their claws 
were fearfully lacerating the sides of both. At length 
the bear lost his balance, and the monsters rolled 
over each other into the bed of the ravine, where the 
contest was continued for an hour. Suddenly all 
became still, and Barhydt, looking over the cliff, saw 
both animals lying in what was, literally, a deadly 
embrace.* 

Nor does it seem in the least incredible that " Bear 
Swamp " should have been frequented within the 
present century by these savage animals. Indeed, it 
is not thirty years since T. Hayward Thompson (to 
whose liberality, by the way, the village is indebted 
for the beautiful and long avenue of maples on the 
Wilton road) shot a panther on the Palmertown 

* The place where this encounter took place was just behind the " Half-way 
Kouse," on the old road to the Lake, near where the road turns to go to Schuylervllle. 



140 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Mountain. And even as late as 1846, Daniel Rams- 
dell (cousin of Jefferson Ramsdell), one Sunday morn- 
ing, in the presence of Anthony Carragan, C. A. 
Rockwell, Robert Sewell, and John Dumphey, 
shot in an old tree-top a huge panther half a 
mile west of the Geyser Spring on the Milton road. 
The panther, which measured fully nine feet from his 
nose to his tail, was brought up to the village, and 
exhibited for several days at the old Montgomxcry 
Hall, and afterwards at the hotel of Daniel and Philip 
Snyder, in Congress Street.* 

Another adventure of one of the early settlers 
with a panther was as follows : Among the emigrants 
of the universal Yankee Nation who had sought to 
increase their domains and better their fortunes 
among the wilds I am describing, was a man by the 
name of Roger Bacon, an illustrious name in the an- 
nals of England, but now, for the first time,, recorded 
in those of Fish Creek. That he was as learned as 
the monk of Ilchester, I need not af^rm ; and that he 
was not as wise, will appear in the sequel. He was, 
however, an honest, worthy man — a bachelor by the 
way — somewhere on the other side of forty, upon 
whose heart neither the kindness nor the witchery 
nor the beauty of Yankee lasses had ever made the 
least impression. He was of a moody temperament, 
fond of solitude, and had emigrated alone, with the 



♦ This remarkable panther, for which Ramsdell received fifty dollars, is now pre- 
served in the " Geological and Agricultural Rooms at Albany." 



BACON'S ADVENTURE. 



141 



apparent resolution that '* no woman should come 
within a mile of his court." He purchased, just pre- 
vious to the Revolution, a farm upon the interval of 
Fish Creek, between the present Stafford's and Bry- 
ant's Bridges, with a sufficient portion of upland — 
the whole covered wdth a noble forest. 




Fish Creek. 

It was late in the summer when Bacon entered 
upon his new premises, so that he only had time to 
erect a log-cabin and cut down the timber of a few 
acres before the beginning of winter. Contrary to 
the advice of the earlier settlers, he persisted in build- 
ing his house upon the flats near the creek. He was 
admonished of the hazard he was running in the 



142 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



event of a heavy freshet in the spring, but to no pur- 
pose. The alluvial soil of the interval was so much 
better adapted to the purposes of a garden than the 
upland, that he was not to be diverted from his de 
sign. But the moody emigrant had no idea of the 
quantity of snow which falls in this region, or of the. 
magnitude of the flood which would follow its rapid 
dissolution in the spring. It so happened that the 
snow fell to an extraordinary depth during the ensu- 
ing winter, and the month of March was so cold that 
the sun had but little power upon it. The conse- 
quence, was that instead of gradually disappearing, 
the whole body of snow was left to melt suddenly 
beneath a warm April rain, by reason of which Fish 
Creek was swollen to an unprecedented extent. The 
snow had fallen so deep that but little intercourse 
was kept up among the scattered inhabitants during 
the winter, and Mr. Bacon had lived almost as se- 
cluded as a bear in a hollow tree — perhaps his nearest 
neighbor. 

During the rain just mentioned, which poured like 
a deluge from the clouds. upon the materials for an- 
other deluge below, the solitary had observed the 
rapid dissolution of the snow and the corresponding 
rise of the river, but he still thought himself secure, 
and retired to his lonely bed soon after sundown with 
his usual composure and unconcern. Before midnight, 
however, he was startled from his slumbers by the 
crackmg of trees and rush of waters. He sprang 



BACON'S ADVENTURE. 



143 



from his couch, and found himself leg-deep in water 
upon his own floor! There was no time for his toilet; 
it was evident that not a moment was to be lost ; and 
what was still worse, it was too dark to make his 
escape, even if the flood would admit of it. His only 
course of safety, therefore, Avas to climb the tree 
nearest to his house, and await the dawn of the morn- 
ing — yet many long and wearisome hours distant. 

Notwithstanding the depth and force of the water, 
he succeeded in reaching and ascending the tree, and 
seated himself with tolerable security among its 
branches. But it was a dismal night. The unsea- 
sonable cold bath he had taken was no addition to 
his comfort, while, from the roar of waters and the 
occasional crash of trees, it was evident that the icy 
fetters of the river had been broken up, and that the 
freshet, with increasing volume, was sweeping onward 
with tremendous power and velocity. The next cake 
of ice, moreover, might, in its irresistible course, bear 
away the tree which was his own supporter! His 
mind was not very imaginative, otherwise his suffer- 
ings might have been a hundred-fold greater than 
they were. Still his situation was suflicientl}^ critical 
and painful. The longest night, however, must have 
an end, and day at length dawned upon the sleepless 
eyes of Roger Bacon. But the darkness disappeared 
only to show him the most cheerless and fearful pros- 
pect upon which his eyes had ever rested. One of 
the first objects discerned, on the approach of light, 



144 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



was the destruction of his cabin, which rose upon the 
waters and was soon dashed to pieces in its furious 
current, the logs of which it was composed floating 
promiscuously away. He next saw the whole valley 
of Fish Creek a w^aste of waters, rushing onwards with 
a mighty impulse, and bearing upon their surface 
huge cakes of ice, v/ith broken timber and decayed 
trunks of trees, now^ whirling in eddies, and now borne 
onward upon the maddened torrent with tremendous 
force, cutting away and bearing down everything in 
their course. What was to be his own fate, or 
whether a rescue was possible, he could not tell. 

Nor was this all that was unpleasant in his situa- 
tion. For an hour before light he heard a distant 
scream, which seemed approaching nearer at every 
repetition, until it had now become so distinct as to 
enable him to recognize the cry of the panther! 
Should the furious animal scent him in the air, his fate 
was too certain to be helped by insurance. Nor was 
he long in doubt upon this point. From its cries the 
animal must be rapidly approaching him ; and the 
flood which was sweeping beneath him afforded no 
protection in the emergency, since the panther could 
travel by springing from tree to tree, almost as 
well as upon the ground. At length he saw the 
shaking of the limbs of a tree at no great distance, 
and — what a situation for a man of sensibility ! — a 
mighty chaos of waters beneath, whirling yet more 
angrily along, from the huge masses of ice and frag- 



BACON'S ADVENTURE. 1 45 

ments of timber borne upon their troubled current, 
and into which it was certain death to plunge, with 
the almost inevitable prospect of becoming the break- 
fast of a panther if he remained I Another scream 
close upon him : another tree was shaken, and yet 
another! Another moment of yet deeper interest 
passed ; and he saw distinctly the body of an animal. 
Again it sprang, and again. The dreadful crisis had 
now arrived ; for, at the distance of not more than 
forty yards, he saw in full view a huge panther 
crouching upon an enormous limb, with cat-like watch, 
and evidently measuring the distance to his intended 
prey, preparatory to the last bound. His large, green 
eyes flashing with rage, glared hideously upon him, 
while, as he uttered a hoarse and frightful growl, his 
blood-red mouth disclosed a set of fangs anything but 
inviting to a poor mortal expecting in the next mo- 
ment to be within them. Bacon grasped the limbs 
by which he was holding with convulsive energy. 
The ferocious animal uttered another dreadful yell, 
his hairs bristled, he drew his back up into a curve, 
and commenced the rapid and tremulous shake of his 
tail — the unerring signal for a final leap — his burning 
eye-balls glowing yet more fiercely. He made the 
leap with the swiftness and precision of an arrow ; 
but by a tremendous effort Bacon succeeded in giving 
the branch upon which the panther caught such a 
sudden shaking exactly at the right instant as to pre- 
vent his making a secure lodgment of his talons. 



1^6 REMIXISCEXCES OF SARATOGA. 



The monster attempted to recover, but could touch 
no branch of the tree with his hindmost feet ; and he j 
was thus suspended for a moment by his claws, and ; 
hung dangling in the air, at full length, over the wild 
abyss of waters. But Bacon continued shaking the 
limb, and it was soon evident by the giving way that 
the terrible animal could sustain himself by his talons 
but a few seconds longer. The panther himself now 
raised a piercing cry of terror, and the next instant 
the grasp of his claws gave way, and he fell with a 
howl of horror into the torrent, yet rushing onward 
with increasing velocity. The monster clung for a 
moment to a broken limb upon which he struck ; but 
he was soon drawn beneath the surge, and borne away 
among the ice and driftwood, to trouble honest }'eo- 
men living in single blessedness alone in the woods 
no more. 

In the course of the day the neighbors began to 
remark the precarious condition in which the freshet 
had probably found their solitary neighbor ; and, after 
the ice and broken timber had so far passed away as 
to render it safe to put forth a canoe, he was relieved 
from his perilous situation. 

In the early summer of 1 804 (the year which saw 
Hamilton killed by Burr) the village of Saratoga was 
in imminent danger of being terribly singed, if not 
destroyed, by fire. One Sunday afternoon, a man on 
horseback (by no means the mythical one so often 
seen by James) came galloping into the main street 



WOODS ON FIRE. 



147 



(Broadway), with the announcement that the woods 
in Bear Swamp were on fire, and that the flames were 
advancing with frightful rapidity toward the village 
before a heavy wind ! The woods, it must be re- 




;^^^ 



Bear Swamp. 

membered, extended at that time, with the exception 
of a little clearing at the old Stewart Place, close up 
to the village. Quickly, thereupon, the inhabitants 
of the village assembled, armed with spades and 
axes, and set out to arrest the progress of the flames, 



1^8 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



or — to adopt their nomenclature — to " fight fire." 
Several visitors, who chanced to be in town at the 
time, volunteered to accompany the party; and a 
brisk walk of half an hour brought them to within 
sight of the spectacle — and a grand spectacle, from 
the accounts of the day, it must have been ! Cover- 
ing a belt of half a mile in width, the flames came on 
roaring and crackling, licking up the streamlets in 
their path, and, like some irresistible army of reapers, 
mowing down giant trees — the growth of centuries — 
as if so many reeds. Soon after the arrival of the 
villagers, the wind fortunately changed, and drove 
the flames in an opposite direction toward the Lake, 
where they could do comparatively little damage. 
But throughout the entire night their roaring could 
be distinctly heard, and their track marked by the 
vividness of the light. The extreme dryness, more- 
over, caused the flames to spread with such rapidity 
that before daylight all that tract between what is 
now the " Half-way House," and the Lake was 
wrapped in one sheet of fire. Night heightened the 
effect, while the blazing and crackling of the timber, 
the roaring of the fire, and the bold outline of the 
flames as they were rolled back upon the dark sky — 
all tended to teach the beholder his own insignifi- 
cance. For several years afterward the swamp pre- 
sented to the eye one hideous mass of charred skele- 
tons of trees. 

Since this time, fortunately, the only fire of any 



CRABB^ THE ASTROLOGER. 1 49 

consequence that has occurred in the woods in the 
vicinity of the village was in 1852. In the summer 
of that year the woods in the ** Patrick Neighbor- 
hood," two miles south of the town, caught fire from 
the spark of a passing locomotive. All night it 
raged, and at one time it was feared that both the 
Ellis Place (Dr. Huddlestone's) and the house of Dr. 
Dostie, would be burned. But the exertions of the 
fire companies that went down to the scene, and the 
wind dying away, soon relieved all fears of such an 
untoward result. 

Crabby the Astrologer. 

Among all the inhabitants of Bear Swamp, none, 
perhaps, have ever attracted so much attention as 
two men, by the names of Buck and Crabb. Of the 
former little is known, save that he was reputed to be 
a wizard and his wife a witch, and that strange things 
were related of them. Of the latter, however, more 
tales have come down to us. Crabb was, in truth, a 
singular as well as mysterious being. Isolated from all 
his fellows — seeking no companionship, and shunned 
by all — he was looked upon as a weird and uncanny 
personage, to whom it would be well to give a wide 
berth. And this, too, notwithstanding he professed 
to cure 

" All maladies 
Of ghostly spasm, or racking torture, qualms 
Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kin^s, 



I 50 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs. 
Intestine stone and ulcer, colic pangs, 
Demoniac frenzy, moping melancholy, 
And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy. 
Marasmus, and wide wasting pestilence, 
Dropsies and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums.'* 

Added to all this was the rumor that he dealt in 
the black art — a report, moreover, which was con- 
siderably strengthened by the fact that on one occa- 
sion a resident of the village (the late Dr. R. L. 
Allen) happened to call on him when he was engaged 
in casting the horoscope either of himself or of some 
other. When Dr. Allen entered, he had drawn the 
points of the zodiac on the floor ; and as he stood in 
the centre of the charmed circle, holding a skull in 
one hand and a witch-hazel rod in the other — sur- 
rounded by sulphurous flames from the vases placed 
on the outer rim — he looked, in very truth, like the 
famous Dr. Dee, the magician and alchemist of Louis 
XIV. In addition to all this, two of his wives died 
under very suspicious circumstances — whether killed 
by his incantations or by more material means could 
not be ascertained — though at the post-mortem 
examination, at which Mr. Walter J. Hendrick was 
present. Dr. Steel thought that a trace of arsenic was 
observable. There was, however, something exceed- 
ingly weird and mysterious about this man which 
never was cleared up. Whether he had, indeed, 
dealings with the evil one, or whether a certain 



CRABB THE ASTROLOGER. 



151 



moroseness of character aided in giving him his 
equivocal reputation in the minds of the ignorant 
and superstitious, are questions which must, in this 
world, at least, ever remain unsolved. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Bear Sivamp. — The Mirage. — Its Lakes. — The Old 
Dutchman Barhydt. 

''Darken'd by their native scenes 
Create wild images and phantoms dire, 
Strange as their hills, and gloomy as their storms." 

OWING, probably, to a peculiar condition of 
the atmosphere at certain times, Bear Swamp 
has long- been subject to mirages — as perfect as those 
which mock the traveller on the African deserts — and 
which have often deceived even old residents. The 
late Dr. R. L. Allen once, when driving through the 
swamp, observed what appeared to be a large-sized 
sheet of water apparently a few rods distant 'from the 
road. Wondering that he had never had his atten- 
tion attracted to it before, he got down and walked 
to the spot — only to see that the water was merely an 
optical illusion. Again, in 1843, ^^ a party' of gentle- 
men and ladies were driving homeward through the 
swamp in the evening (among whom were the late 
Rev. Francis Wayland and the author), they plainly 
saw, in the middle of the swamp, half a mile in their 
rear, and, of course, in a direction opposite to the vil- 
lage, a large building with rows of windows brilliantly 
illuminated. The entire company left the vehicle, and 
for a long time watched the strange and singular ap- 

rsa 



THE MIRAGE. 



153 



pearance — an appearance seemingly bordering on the 
supernatural, since they had just come over the road 
where the spectre house now stood, and all who were 
familiar with the country knew of no such house or 
any dwelling, indeed, in that direction. 

The next day it was found that passengers coming 
up in the cars from Ballston, at the same hour in the 
evening, had also witnessed this phenomenon — conclu- 
sively proving that even if our party had all had their 
imaginations psychologically affected — which is more 
improbable than the converse — others, miles away, 
could not have been under the same influence. The 
explanation undoubtedly was, that the apparition of 
the illuminated building was simply a reflection of a 
refraction on the clouds of one of the hotels at the 
Springs."^ Other dwellers in the swamp have related 
to me experiences of a similar character, though not 
so marked as the two I have mentioned. 

Lying on the southern edge of Bear Swamp, and 
partially draining it, are three bodies of water, which 
deserve particular mention before closing this chap- 
ter. These are '' LAKE LONELY," " ROUND POND," 
and '' Barhydt's Lake." 



* Of a similar character, doubtless, was the appearance of the ship (related by Cot- 
ton Mather) sailing in the air at night— which was witnessed by many hundreds of 
people on the Connecticut coast, near Guilford, in 1720. The ship, which was recog- 
nized as one that had left port several days previously, after sailing in the heavens for 
an hour, was observed to be on fire — and this appearance lasted until the last mast had 
fallen, and she had burned to the water's edge. This ship was never heard oj 
again. 



154 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Lake Lonely was originally called by the early 
settlers "Owl Pond," on account of the immense 
quantity of owls which, in the early settlement of the 
country were wont to gather around its shores, 
and make night still more dismal by their hootings. 
Though much smaller than Lake Saratoga, it never- 
theless possesses features of interest to the tourist. 
On the eastern shore, steep declivities rise up from 
the water's edge, covered with tangled ferns and hem- 
locks, some of which, the growth of centuries, rise 
above their fellows, till their tops, resembling so many 
spires, seem lost in the clouds. Standing upon the 
eastern bank, and looking northward, the eye, sweep- 
ing beyond the smooth, motionless sheet of water, 
takes in all of the most southerly hills of the Adiron- 
dack region, darkly wooded to their topmost elevation. 
Away to the north are plainly visible various de- 
tached peaks—*' Potash Kettle," near Luzerne, among 
the rest — whose outlines are clearly defined against 
the ethereal blue of the higher altitudes. Li the 
rainy seasons very considerable torrents pour down 
the sides of these precipitous banks, tumbling 
through the deep ravines and glens into the lake, and 
in some places forming cascades of considerable 
magnitude. 

One of these glens, on the eastern bank of the lake, 
nearly opposite Charley Moon's (formerly Abel's) 
" Lake House," forms an echo almost as distinct and 
powerful as the celebrated one in the ruined bastion 



A REMARKABLE ECHO. I 55 

of the old French fortress at Crown Point. If a gun 
is discharged at this point the effect is wonderfully 
fine. For a moment after the sound departs from the 
place there is nearly a dead silence. Then suddenly 
the echo is heard, seemingly from a great distance to 
the south, whence it comes back in separate and dis- 
tinct reverberations, as if leaping from glen to glen, 
louder and yet louder still, until, directly opposite, the 
full volume of sound is returned back in all its compass 
and power. There was, in 1840, a bridal party enjoy- 
ing the first week of the honeymoon at the '' Lake 
House " — then kept by Loomis. It chanced that the 
happy couple, with their attendants, were on the 
bank of the Little Lake, drinking in the prospect, 
and " seeing all there was to be seen." Of course a 
gun had to be fired off for the effect of the echo. 
But, as it chanced, very imprudently, just as the last 
round of the dying echo left the ear, some malicious 
wag audibly rehearsed the following scrap of advice 
in doggerel metre : 

** A ivife, like echo^ should be true, 
To speak when she is spoken to ; 
But not, like ecJio, still be heard 
Contending for tlie final word." 

Up to the year 1858 this sheet of water was known 
by the name of the " Little Lake," at which time, 
however, during a picnic on its banks, Judge James 
B. McKean (the late Chief-Justice of Utah), proposed 



jc6 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



the name of " Lake Lonely," which it has ever since 

retained. 

Between Lake Lonely and Barhydt's Lake (for- 
merly Dr. Russel H. Child's) there lies a long waste 
of low land, thickly overgrown with patches of ever- 
greens, and which is, perhaps, the only portion of 
Bear Swamp that yet retains its primitive condition. 
It is a cold and cheerless section of the county — so 
much so that the owls, it is said, have been known to 
weep on flying over this region. I do not vouch for 
this fact, however; but I am free to declare that 
Barhydt made a sad mistake in robbing it from the 
moose, deer, and the beaver. Here some quite rare 
varieties of swamp flowers are to be found, which are 
quite the envy of the botanist — the water bean, the 
ladies' slipper or chid, the Lidian moccasin, a fern 
called the adder's tongue, and the Lobelia CardinaliSy 
commonly called the " Indian Eye Bright " — the 
latter fully as fine as any on the banks of the Bloody 
Pond, near Lake George. 

In the centre of this waste — 

"Tangled with fern and intricate with thorn," 

directly west of Lake Lonely, and, perhaps, one- 
third of the distance to Barhydt's, is a small circular 
pond. Surrounded by dense woods, and situated in 
a marsh whose approach defies any but practised 
woodmen, it is almost inaccessible, and but little 



ROUND POND. 



157 



known even to the dwellers in its immediate vicinity. 
The pond itself is a clear, black, and deep tarn, and 
was formerly a great resort for the young of the pre- 



ceding generation. 




Round Pond. 



Barhydt's Lake w^as formerly— between 1820- 
1835 — a great resort, having on its banks a public- 
house, kept by Mynheer Barhydt, an old Dutch 
settler, and the same one whose wife's adventure with 
the bear, and whose own personal adventure with the 
panther, have been before narrated. It was, until 
within a few years, part of a fine preserve of Dr. 
Russel H. Childs. This tarn is called a "lake" by 



158 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



courtesy, though it lacks only in size the beauties of 
Lakes Saratoga and Lonely. Sunk as deep into the 
earth as the firs shoot abov^e it, it is surrounded by a 
wilderness of straight columnar pine shafts, which 
branch out at the top like round tables " spread for a 
banquet in the clouds." As late as 1835 it was filled 
with trout, though even then the shrewd old Dutch- 
man foresaw the future scarcity of this fish. In the 
summer of that year a correspondent of the Commer- 
cial Advertiser writes: "At Barhydt's the sportsman 
is obliged to throw all the trout he may take back 
into their native element again, and pay by the hour 
for the privilege besides. He may, however, retain 
enough for his own dinner, provided he allows it to 
be cooked there and pays pretty well for that into 
the bargain." 

Jacobus Barhydt, who died in 1844, and is buried 
in the old Whitford graveyard — a mile south-east of 
the village — was, in many respects, a singular and 
original character. With all his astuteness, however, 
he sometimes overreached himself, as the following 
will show. When Joseph Bonaparte, ex-King of 
Spain, was at Saratoga as the guest of Henry Walton, 
he offered Barhydt $20,000 for his place. Astounded 
at such a sum, Barhydt refused it — remarking that he 
** did not know whether Bonaparte was a fool or a 
knave." The old Dutchman could not conceive that 
the picturesqueness of his place had tempted the 
offer, and suspected some sinister design. '' If it's 



THE DUTCHMAN BARDHYT. 



159 



worth that to you," he said, in closing the conversa- 
tion, '* it's worth that to me." "^ 

In 1839, ^- -P- WilHs visited Barhydt Lake, and 
gave the following graphic description of the old 
Dutchman Barhydt : 

** The old man sat under his Dutch stoop smoking 
his pipe, and suffered us to tie our ponies to his fence 
without stirring, and, in answer to our enquiries if 
there was a boat on the lake, simply nodded an 
assent, and pointed to the water's edge. Whether 
the indifference to strangers is innocence merely, or 
whether Herr Barhydt does not choose to be consid- 
ered an innkeeper, no one is enough in his secrets to 
divine. He will give you a dram or cook you a dinner 
of trout, and seems not only indifferent whether you 
like his fish or his liquor, but quite as indifferent 
whether or what you pay him. In his way Herr 
Barhydt is kind and courteous. 

" We descended to the lake, and after rowing 
about we returned to partake of the old Dutchman's 
hospitality, and have a little conversation with him. 
Among other things, we asked him if he was aware 
that he had been put into a book ? 

" I'se hearn tell on't," said he ; " a Mr. W^ilkins or 
Watkins has writ something about me, but I don't 
know why. / never did him ?to harm as I know on / " 

* Joseph Bonaparte failing to buy in Saratoga, afterwards bought a beautiful place 
at Bordentown, N. J., ota the Delaware River. 



CHAPTER XV. 

A7i Interior View of Saratoga Springs fifty years ago. 

" He speaks as a spectator, not officially^ 
And always, reader, in a modest way ; 
Perhaps, too, in no very great degree, shall he 
Appear to have offended in this lay." 

Note to Beppo., Stanza xlvi. 

In presenting a view of Saratoga Springs and its 
inhabitants as it appeared fifty years ago, I cannot, 
perhaps, do better, than by giving my readers an ex- 
tract from the diary of an English traveller, James 
Stewart, who visited Saratoga, while on a tour in the 
United States in 1828.* It would have been com- 
paratively easy for the author to have written this 
chapter from his own conversations with residents 
themselves, but as a view froni a foreigner unbiassed 
is of more value, I quote him entire. 

"Saratoga Springs, the great watering-place of the 
United States, is situated on high, dry ground, at the 
distance of seventeen miles southward from Glen's 
Falls. We came here on the 20th of September (1828). 
The weather had previously become comparatively 
cool, and the multitude had taken their departure. 



• Three Years in North Atnerica.hy James Stewart, Esq. From the Second 
London Edition. New York, published by J & J. Harper, 82 Cliff Street. New York. 
1833. 

160 



SARATOGA FIFTY YFARS AGO. l6l 

The great hotels were about to close. Intending to 
remain for some time, we went to one of the lesser 
houses, open for visitors during the whole year, and 
afterwards to a private boarding-house. The gentle- 
man who had accompanied us from Britain left us, to 
our regret. On his return, a few days after, we reach- 
ed this village. It consists of a fine broad street, 
fringed with trees, having so many large and splendid 
hotels, that it appeared to me that there were more 
extensive accommodation for company than at Har- 
rowgate. Fifteen hundred people have been known 
to arrive in a week. They come from all parts of the 
States, even from New Orleans, at the distance of be- 
tween two and three thousand miles, to avoid the 
heat and unhealthy weather which prevail in the 
southern part of the States during the end of the 
summer, and to enjoy the very wholesome and pleas- 
ant mineral waters of Saratoga. 

" The Indians were acquainted with the medicinal 
qualities of those waters before the country was 
known to Europeans. Their attention was attracted 
by the great quantity of game, and occasionally of 
wild cattle, that frequented the place. The first com- 
munication by the Indians was made to Sir William 
Johnson on the Mohawk River, when he was in bad 
health in the year 1767. They conveyed him to the 
springs, cutting a road for him through the forests. 
Sir William's health improved, and he made known 
the virtues of the water. The Revolutionary war pre- 



1 52 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



vented the springs from being resorted to for many 
years; and in 1787,"^ similar springs were discovered 
at Ballston, seven miles from Saratoga Springs. Ho- 
tels were erected there, the land being at that time 
the property of more enterprising persons ; and it 
was not till the Congress Water at Saratoga Springs 
was discovered, about twenty-five years ago, that 
much was done with a view to provide accommoda- 
tion for strangers. The medical properties of ^he 
waters at the different springs, of which there are 
fourteen here, and four at Ballston, are owing to their 
containing, in various proportions, muriate of soda, 
carbonate of soda, carbonate of lime, carbonate of 
magnesia, carbonate of iron, and carbonic acid gas. 

"The quantity of fixed air in the Congress Water is 
much greater than any of the waters here or at Balls- 
ton, and vastly exceeds anything yet discovered in 
this or any other country. The medical gentlemen 
say that the large quantity of the gas, combined with 
the marine salt and various carbonates, give to the 
Congress Water, in its cathartic properties, a decided 
superiority over every water of the same kind hitherto 
discovered. The temperature at the bottom of the 
spring is 50 degrees of Fahrenheit, and suffers no 
change in winter or summer ; neither does the season 
of the year affect the quantity of the water. The 
taste is very agreeable, and the briskness of the water 

* The writer here is in error— the Springs at Ballston having been discovered much 
earlier. See chapter on Ballston.—^ uthor. 



CONGRESS SPRINGS. 163 



at the fountain delightful. Three or four pint tum- 
blers are generally taken in the morning before break- 
fast. 

" We also, as most people do, use it at meals from 
choice, although it is never so good as at the fountain, 
before there is any escape of gas. The people resi- 
dent in the village and its neighborhood, within six or 
eight miles of the place, have it carried to their 
houses, preferring it very much to ordinary spring 
water. The quantity of gas is such that a very nice 
sort of breakfast bread is baked with Congress Water 
instead of yeast. So large a quantity of it is bottled, 
and sent all over the States, that the proprietors, 
Messrs. Lynch & Clarke, are said to derive a very 
great revenue from it. Even the American packet- 
sliips are supplied with it in abundance. Seltzer 
Water, in the bottled state, is as pleasant as Congress 
Water, except at the fountain. 

^' The use of the water is chiefly recommended in 
bilious, dyspeptic, and calculous complaints, for dis- 
eases of the skin, and for chronic rheumatism ; but 
the great bulk of the people who resort to these cele- 
brated springs, many of them regularly once a year, 
come for amusement, and for the preservation rather 
than the recovery of health, at a period of the year 
when the violence of the heat renders a visit to a 
high and comparatively a cold country very desir- 
able. I found the water and baths of Harrowgate so 
beneficial for a trifling complaint, for which I tried 



164 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



them last year, that we resolved to remain here and 
at Ballston Springs for a couple of months. The gay 
people had almost disappeared before we arrived. 
The invalids seem to live very sparingly — hardly tast- 
in.g any liquid but the water, and tea, which here, and 
;it other places where we have been, we sometimes 
observe ladies take at dinner. Many of those invalids 
are quite able to take exercise in the open air on foot, 
and would, if I am not much mistaken, derive as much 
benefit from it, if taken in moderation, as from the use 
of the water; but they seem to confine themselves 
to a five or ten minutes' walk in the morning, when 
they go to the fountain, and to a drive in an open 
carriage for an hour or an hour and a half. When 
they meet «us walking several miles for exercise and 
the pleasure of being in the open air, they, whether 
acquainted with us or not, frequently stop their vehi- 
cles, and very civilly offer us a ride with them, and 
can hardly believe us serious when we, in declining to 
avail ourselves of their kindly-meant offer, tell them 
that we prefer walking. There are few more striking 
points of difference between this country and Britain 
than in the numbers of people who ride and walk on 
the public roads. It absolutely seems disgraceful to 
be seen walking ; and though there are no fine equi- 
pages here, every one rides in his gig, dearborn, or 
open carriage of some description or other. This, no 
doubt, proves the easy circumstances of the mass of 
people, as well as the value of time to a mechanic or 



AN ENGLISHMAN'S VIEW. i(5: 



laborer, whose wages may be from one to two dollars 
a day, and who, in consequence of the saving of time, 
finds it better to pay for a conveyance than to walk. 
Still, I am persuaded that our habits in this respect 
are far more favorable to health, and that dyspepsia, 
a very general complaint in New York State and in 
this country, is in no inconsiderable degree owing to 
the people supposing that enough of exercise can be 
had in carriages and wagons, especially by persons who 
partake largely of animal food three times a day, or 
who hardly ever walk a mile, or mount on horseback. 
* There are four great hotels. Congress Hall, the 
largest, is 200 feet long, with two immense wings. 
The United States Hotel contains as much accom- 
modation. This is the hotel to which the ex-King 
Joseph Bonaparte resorts when he pays an annual 
visit to the Springs. He now associates at the 
public table as an American citizen, which he did 
not do at first on coming to this country. There 
are, of course, public reading-rooms, library, and 
ball-rooms, and a newspaper press. Backgammon 
boards and draught or checquer boards, as they are 
called here, are in the bar-rooms generally all over 
the country ; the bar-keeper not unfrequently plays 
at checquers with the people, who appear as re- 
spectable as any in the house. Backgammon is 
not so often played here. Cards seldom seen. 

** We have here, and in the whole of our excur- 
sion hitherto, been much less annoyed with mos« 



1 66 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



quitoes than we expected. The common fly has 
been far more troublesome ; and in the canal-boat, 
and twice or thrice in hotels, we have had to submit 
to be tortured by bugs. 

" Apples are very abundant in this neighborhood, 
sold 3d. sterling per bushel. We see large quantities 
of them dried by exposure to the sun ; first pared 
and cut in quarters, and then laid in any convenient 
situation, frequently on the house-tops. Peaches 
are dried in the same way. Apple-sauce is made of 
the apples thus prepared, which is used with roast 
beef and many other dishes, without any mixture of 
sugar. 

*' The whole appearance of the place is cheerful — 
the population residing in the village between 2,000 
and 3,000. There are four or five churches, with 
spires covered with tin glittering through the trees 
— Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and Universalist, 
the two first rather handsome houses of some size. 
There was not public worship regularly in all the 
churches, the crowded season being over, but two 
of them at least were open every Sunday ; the 
sermons good plain discourses, but there was no 
eminent preacher when we were here. In the 
Methodist and Universalist churches the males oc- 
cupy the pews on one side of the church, and the 
females on the other. The practice we afterwards 
found not unusual in the Methodist churches in 
the United States. The Methodists generally knee] 



CUSTOMS OF THE SARATOGIANS. 167 

at prayer, and stand while singing, but the practice 
varies in different churches. Ladles are common, 
as they used to be in Scotland, handed about by 
the church officers or deacons for offerings of money, 
previously to the last prayer ; the singing good, 
usually accompanied by instrumental music, and 
but few of the congregation joining. Everywhere 
there is a band of singers. The deacons and con- 
gregation very attentive in giving seats to strangers. 
There is no whispering or speaking in the church 
before the clergyman comes in. There are few peo- 
ple of color in the churches, and such of them as 
are there, assemble in a corner separate from the rest 
of the people. Such of the inhabitants as do not 
go to church seem to be under no restrictions. 
They shoot, or work, or amuse themselves as they 
choose. We saw a house get a thorough repair 
on two Sundays, but this is not usual. 

• • • • • • •• 

** On the 1 2th of October, we were, for the first 
time, and quite accidentally, present at a funeral. 
It was on a Sunday, when it so happened that 
there was no service but in the Baptist church, to 
which we went in the afternoon. We were sur- 
prised to find it much more crowded than when 
we had been there previously, and took our seats 
on the front row in the low part of the church, 
which was the only one empty. One of the deacons 
observing this, procured accommodation for us in 



1 68 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



an adjoining seat, whispering that the seat in 
which we had placed ourselves was reserved for 
the mourners of a funeral about to take place. 
The family and their relations soon appeared, but 
before they were seated the body of the deceased, a 
respectable farm.er and proprietor's wife, of the name 

of , who had died on the preceding day, laid 

in a coffin of cherry-tree wood, was set down on 
four chairs in the front of the seat appropriated for 
the mourners, and between it and the pulpit. The 
body remained in church during the service, the 
clergyman of course preaching a sermon suited to the 
occasion. When the service was concluded, the 
coffin was carried to the churchyard, and there, very 
near the church door, was placed on a bench. The 
upper part of the lid of the coffin, which was hinged, 
was opened, and the face of the deceased, which 
was covered by a piece of glass, was looked at by 
her friends, and the body not removed until all the 
congregation who wished had an opportunity of 
looking at the countenance of the deceased. The 
coffin was then placed in a very small, plain hearse, 
being drawn by a single horse to the burying- ground 
at some little distance, followed first of all by the 
clergyman, and then, in pairs, by relations and 
friends, the congregation following in such order as 
they liked. The body was deposited in the grave, 
and after a few spadefuls of earth were thrown into 
it, the clergyman expressed in a few words the grati- 



A FUNERAL. 1 69 



tude of the family for the attendance on the occasion. 
The relations, with only one or two exceptions, then 
went away, leaving it to the grave-digger and assist- 
ants to complete the work. 

" Burying ground is very generally unconnected 
with a church, and very frequently farmers rail in a 
small piece of ground near their houses, to be used as 
such. The people pay little attention to their dress 
on such occasions as that I have mentioned. Several 
of the mourners wore white gowns, and yellow straw 
bonnets with black ribbons. Even at New York, 
where the mourners were in coaches, I observed 
many of the men without any other mourning clothes 
than a piece of crape on the hat. Women generally 
attend funerals in this country. 

** Both here and at Ballston doors are very gene- 
rally left unlocked during the night. Shutters to the 
windows are not common. Clothes are left out to 
bleach during the night on the unenclosed greens 
in the villages. On my wife applying for a washer- 
woman two or three days ago to wash some clothes, 
our landlady said that they should be washed in the 
house, and that she would get in a lady to assist. 
The lady, when she appeared, turned out to be a lady 
of color. It will not do here to talk of the -lower 
classes ; * send for that fellow, — order such a woman 
to come here.' Language of that kind will not be 
tolerated by any part of the community. The feel- 
ing of self-respect exists almost universally. 



170 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



"■ Soap and candles are very generally manufactured 
at home. Wax candles are much used even in ordi- 
nary boarding-houses, and said to be almost as cheap 
as those made of tallow ; much use is made in wash- 
ing of water run off wood-ashes. Where tallow 
candles are not made at home, it is usual to exchange 
the wood-ashes, and the fat offals from meat used in 
the family, with the manufacturer, for soap and 
candles. 

" In the beginning of October, the morning became 
frosty, and the ice occasionally of some thickness, 
but the sun had great influence in the middle of the 
day, so that Fahrenheit's thermometer generally rose, 
in the course of the day, to 70 degrees, sometimes to 
78 degrees. And during the whole month we had a 
cloudless sky and pure atmosphere — finer weather 
than I ever before witnessed at this season. The 
leaves of the trees began to change their colors soon 
after the month commenced, and acquired at different 
periods colors of such beauty and brilliancy as are 
not to be seen in Britain. The maple became of a 
fine scarlet, the hickory and walnut as yellow as a 
crocus, and.the sumach of a deep red or scarlet. The 
appearance of an American forest at this season is 
altogether superior in magnificence, beauty, and clear- 
ness of tint to any similar scene in other countries. 
During this spell of charming autumn weather, which 
is called by the Americans the Indian summer, we 
made various excursions to the neighboring country. 



INDEPENDENCE OF AN AMERICAN. 



171 



There is no object to be compared to York Minster, 
or Fountain's Abbey, or to many noble parks within 
reach of the multitude who annually resort to Har- 
rowgate for their health or amusement ; but the 
neighborhood of Lake George, of the Hudson and its 
falls, Saratoga Lake, and Ballston Lake, offers many 
temptations to those who take pleasure in the beau- 
ties of nature, Saratoga Lake, about five miles from 
the spring, is a fine sheet of water, where there is 
good fishing, and where pleasure boats can be had. 
There is also a fishing-pond conveniently situated, 
only two miles from the Springs, the proprietor of 
which, Mr. Barhydt, of German extraction, makes 
strangers very welcome to enjoy the sport. Although 
he has considerable property, not of trifling value, we 
found him, the first time that we called in the even- 
ing to see the place, at work with the necessary 
implements, mending his shoes. I positively at first 
took him for a shoemaker, but he received us so hos- 
pitably that I soon was convinced of the mistake I 
had so nearly committed. Every one in this country 
is taught to do much more for himself than with us. 
I have never met an American who, when put to it, 
could not use the needle well. Mr. Barhydt set 
down cider and peach brandy, and forced us to par- 
take before he Avould show us his grounds. The 
pond is not of great extent, but the scenery about it, 
though on a small scale, is sweet. It pleased Joseph 
Bonaparte so much that Mr. Barhydt told us he 



172 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



would have been very glad to acquire it as a retired 
situation for himself on his annual visit to the 
Springs, but Mr. Barhydt was not inclined to sell. 
King Joseph got the first lesson in fishing from Mr. 
Barhydt, in which, however, he says, he is by no 
means a proficient." 



CHAPTER XVI. 

The Cholera Season d?/ 1832. 

" Look how the world's poor people are amazed 
At apparitions, signs and prodigies." — Shakspere. 

" The thing in the world I am most afraid of is fear, and with good reason ; that 
passion alone, in the trouble of it, breeding all other accidents." — Montaigne. 

CLOUDS of dark and gloomy portent hung over 
Saratoga during the season of 1832 — a season 
that was probably the worst one she has ever expe- 
rienced. In that year, Providence had seen fit to 
afflict the nation with that awful scourge, the chol- 
era ; and it was then raging with unabated force in 
New York City, scattering mourning and desolation 
throughout the land. 

On the first appearance of this epidemic in New 
York, the physicians prohibited the use of Congress 
Water; and although, influenced by the statements 
of the late Chancellor Walworth, they subsequently 
changed their opinions upon the subject, it was too 
late to infuse vitality into the season. 

Nor was this gloom lightened by the numerous and 
singular atmospheric phenomena of this year. Me- 
teors flashed across the heavens. The light of the 
sun and moon was admitted by astronomers to be 
greatly lessened in brilliancy — the shadows of objects 

173 



174 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



being proportionately less distinct and well defined. 
The moon, especially, was of a deep gold color, in- 
stead of the bright, silver lamp of evening ; and 
though the sky was clear, yet it reflected but very 
little light— gleaming, apparently, through a mist, 
which mist could not be perceived. The same un- 
wonted appearance, which was thus noted elsewhere 
throughout the country, was observed and com- 
mented upon at Saratoga; and, indeed, to such an 
extent was this felt, that many, not generally super- 
stitious, were fain to confess that perhaps the al- 
chemists of the Middle Ages were not far wrong in 
their belief that the planets exercise a malignant in- 
fluence over the affairs of men. 

Another further peculiarity of the present season 
was the fact that there were no birds. The wild 
woods were no longer vocal. One might ride for 
miles in the country surrounding the village, through 
woods and groves — the branches of which were in 
former years alive with the feathered songsters of 
nature, warbling their rich melodies in countless 
numbers — without starting from their resting places 
as many birds as one may see wrens upon the New 
York Battery. This total absence of the '' wood notes 
wild " caused a depression, in the minds of many 
of the visitors, of a melancholy character. Some 
persons, it is true, charged this desertion of the forest 
choristers to the preceding winter, which had been a 
very severe one, by which, they argued, they might 



PREPARING FOR THE CHOLERA, 



175 



have perished. But as birds are chiefly, if not all, 
migratory, this desertion from their wonted haunts 
was generally ascribed to the calamities of the year. 

The epidemic first came to Whitehall from Canada. 
At that day the stage-route was down the Hudson 
River to Albany. The news of its having reached 
Whitehall was received at Saratoga in the evening, 
and at once aroused the citizens to a sense of their 
apparent danger. " The latter," writes the late W. L. 
F. Warren to the author, '' immediately assembled in 
public meeting, and took a variety of sanitary meas- 
ures to meet the enemy, which was confidently ex- 
pected the next morning. All night the note of pre- 
paration was sounded ; and when the sun arose the 
next day, it disclosed a scene of remarkable beauty 
— an entire village exhibiting order, cleanliness, and 
a uniform application of lime, and other disinfectants, 
on tree, house, tower, and steeple, contrasting with 
the green vegetation of garden, shrubs, and herbage, 
in the most attractive manner. All this had been 
effected during the night, and alleviated greatly the 
care and anxiety of the citizens in regard to the 
threatened contagion." Still, to such a condition 
of fear were the inhabitants reduced, that a " pest- 
house," for the reception of the expected cholera 
patients was put up on the road to Ballston, a mile 
south of Beekman's (Finlay's) woods. Happily, the 
result proved these alarms to be without foundation 
— only one person dying from cholera on his way 



176 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



from Troy to the Springs, and another case, prov- 
ing on an examination by Dr. Steel, to be only one 
of drunkenness ! * 

In addition, moreover, to all this, the railroad be- 
tween Schenectady and Saratoga, begun in 183 1, had 
come to a dead halt for want of funds. The prospect, 
indeed, seemed dark. ''The hotels here," writes 
Colonel Stone, on the 7th of August of this year, 
"■ are large and airy, as the world knows. They never 
were in finer order — and yet they are nearly einpty^ 
Even the presence of the Vice-President, Van Buren, 
and of Washington Irving and his brother the judge, 
together with Benjamin F. Butler, Jesse Buel, and a 
Democratic caucus held in the village under the 
auspices of Edwin Croswell, failed to revivify the 
season. However, '' notwithstanding all of these 
drawbacks," adds the writer above quoted, ** Davi- 

* The fears of the people of Saratoga were by no means unjustified. In the journal 
of Elkanah Watson, quoted in a former chapter, he says : " The cholera appeared at 
Quebec, advanced to Montreal, where its ravages were appalling. Thence it pro- 
ceeded south and west, and spread rapidly, even to Chicago, fastening upon Platts- 
burgh, Burlington, and Whitehall ; in its southern course it burst upon New York, 
Albany, and most of the towns and villages on the Hudson, and thence to Long Island 
and Connecticut. It raged, an awful scourge, throughout the land. Most of the steam- 
boats were stopped on. the Lake (Champlain), commerce totally at a stand. At this 
moment (August 8), a universal gloom pervades the nation. All seem to feel that they 
are trembling upon the brink of the tomb, with uplifted hands crying to the great Je- 
hovah for protection and relief. Fasts are held everywhere ; and it seems in some 
places as if the judgment of Heaven was stayed suddenly, and in almost a miraculous 
manner ; but often, after leaving a city, it would return, and again burst forth with 
redoubled violence. ' Amen ! God's will be done ! ' And yet the viUage was never more 
cleanly, healthful, and enjoyable than in this year— not a single case of cholera (as 
merftioned in the text), epidemic, sporadic, or otherwise, appearing in Saratoga or 
Ballston." 



A SHORT SEASON. 1 77 



sons Reading-Rooin in the village is as well kept and 
supplied as ever, and we there have the latest intelli- 
gence from New York, which, by steamboats and 
railroads, is now brought within sixteen to twenty 
hours." * On the 13th of September, the hotels 
were all closed ; and in them a silence as profound as 
that within the cloisters of a deserted monastery 
reigned supreme. 

* Gideon M. Davison, one of the best and most patriotic citizens Saratoga ever 
had. The leading-room was on part of the site now occupied by the Marvin House. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Early Raih'oading, 

" Ring out the bells throughout the town, 
Command our citizens that they may make bonfires. 
And feast and banquet in the open streets, 
To celebrate the joy which God has given us." 

THE season of 1833 formed an era in the pros- 
perity of Saratoga Springs as a watering place. 
In that year the railroad was extended to Saratoga, 
and was, I believe, the second passenger railroad that 
was completed in the United States.^ The first 
engine, with a train of '' carriages " (as they were 
then called), passed up the road from Schenectady to 
Saratoga on the 4th of July, 1833 — Warren B. B. 
Westcott, who was at Ballston at the time, distinctly 
remembering the novel spectacle. As mentioned in 

* The first railway in the United States was one of two miles long, from Milton to 
Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1826. The cars were drawn by horses. The Baltimore 
and Ohio was the first passenger railway in America, fifteen miles being opened in 
1830. the cars being drawn by horses till the next year, when a locomotive was put on 
the track, built by Davis, of York, Pennsylvania. It had an upright boiler and 
cylinder. The Mohawk and Hudson, sixteen miles, from Albany to Schenectady, was 
the next line, opened m 1S31, and the cars were drawn by horses till the delivery of 
the locomotive ' De Witt Clinton," which was built at the West Point Foundry, 
New York. This was the second locomotive built in the United States ; the first was 
made at the same shop for the South Carolina Railway. The termini both at 
Schenectady and Albany were upon inclined planes, with stationary engines. 

17& 



THE RAILROAD. 1 79 



the preceding chapter, the railroad from Schenectady 
to Saratoga, begun in the summer of 183 1, had been 
carried the succeeding year only as far as Ballston.* 
The trains, however, had not run regularly even up 
to that point, and the usual route was still from 
Albany to Saratoga by fine post-coaches at a dollar a 
fare. With the completion, however, of the railroad 
to Saratoga the crisis was passed. " The number of 
strangers now in this village," s'ays Mr. Gideon M. 
Davison in his paper of July 7, 1833, '* cannot be 
less than 1,000 — at least twice as many as are ordin- 
arily here at this season of the year," Since then 
each successive season, with a few exceptions — such 
as the cholera year of 1849 ^^'^^ ^^^ one succeeding the 
burning of Congress Hall — has been one of increasing 
prosperity, f 

Indeed, it was mainly due to the efforts of Mr. 
Davison that the railroad was built. As an advocate 
of public improvement, he early took an interest in 
railroads, and immediately after the line between 
Albany and Schenectady was opened, he began to 

* The Schenectady and Saratoga Raihoad was undertaken by an incorporated com- 
pany with a stock capital of $180,000. The total income was estimated at $72,000, 
and the net revenue at $51,000. On July 7, 1832, the road was first opened from 
Schenectady to Ballston. The time made that day from Ballston to Schenectady 
was one hour and twenty-eight minutes ! and the number of passengers on the Sara- 
toga and Schenectady Railroad during the month of April, 1833, was 1,240, "being 
more," as a Saratoga paper says, " than four times the travel between Saratoga and 
the South during any former month so early in the season." 

t The difficulty experienced in "■ Regatta" week, 1874, in carrying the crowds to 
the Lake — distant only three and a half miles — shows how impossible it would be 
with no railroad to bring that number from Albany to Saratoga. 



l80 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



agitate the subject of a road from Saratoga to Sche- 
nectady, to connect with it. His acquaintance, more- 
over, with the leading residents at Saratoga, and the 
poHticians who had influence at Albany, aided 
greatly in securing the charter of the Saratoga and 
Schenectady Railroad, of Avhich he was appointed 
Commissioner of Construction. 

There are a number of incidents connected with 
the early days of the railroad at Saratoga which are 
of an exceedingly interesting character. The speed 
at first was but fifteen miles an hour, and this was 
considered extraordinary time. Indeed, fears were 
expressed at the prospect even of a greater rate 
being attained. ** Were the velocity of these to be 
doubled," says Colonel Stone, writing from Saratoga 
at this time, *' there would be continued apprehen- 
sions of danger, in addition to disagreeable sensations 
of dizziness. But such is not the case now ; and the 
passengers are whirled along in commodious and ele- 
gant cars, without jolting or any other annoyance, 
and without the remotest fears for the safety of life 
or of limb." 

The ground for the new road was first broken in 
the village in the month of September, 1831, which 
circumstance was celebrated by a grand procession. 
The news had spread like wildfire through the coun- 
try, and on the day of its occurrence, hundreds of 
the farmers for miles around drove in to witness the 
august event. Among these was W. B. B. Westcott, 



A PROCESSION. l8l 



who, a little boy at that time, came with his father 
into the village. The procession formed in Broadway, 
in front of the old Columbian Hotel, and then moved 
up Church Street through an opening in a thick pine 
wood in rear of the Presbj'terian Church (now the 
Commercial Hotel), to about the site of the present 
depot. Here it halted, and, after several speeches 
had been made by Churchill C. Cambreling (M. C. 
from New York City) and other prominent citizens, 
six Irish laborers in the procession bearing shovels 
threw up a few spadefuls of earth, and the ceremony 
of breaking ground was pronounced complete. After 
the ground had been thus broken, a dinner was par- 
taken of, when the procession was reformed and re- 
turned to the Columbian. During the march back, 
however, it halted to witness a grand exhibition 
given by Nathaniel Waterbury of pulling stumps with 
his new machine, which was then a great novelty.* 
While the procession was marching, Augustus Trim, 
then a dipping boy at Congress Spring, assisted in 
firing a cannon from the present Temple Grove, near 
the large pine-tree south of the present Circular Rail- 
road — '' Primus " Budd having the fuse and Dick 
Sprutt holding the vent. Fourteen guns in all were 
fired during the celebration, from signals given from 
the top of the old Pavilion Hotel. 

♦The farms of Waterburi"-, Samuel Hoyt (the old Beach place), and Jacob Denton 
(father of Myron) were all cleared with this same machine — as, indeed, the stumps 
comprising the fences, and yet standing, bear witness. 



1 82 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



At first, the road was laid on blocks of stone, but 
these were soon found, by their not '' giving," to rack 
the cars too much, and wooden '' sleepers " were sub- 
tuted. The rails used were long strips of iron, nailed 
to horizontal timbers. Often, however, the wheels 
would rip them up where they were joined — driving 
them through the flooring of the cars, to the great 
danger of the passengers* lives. These dismembered 
rails were called ** snake-heads.'' 

The first depot was where the Marvin House now 
stands, and the ticket agent was the late Daniel D. 
Benedict. The cars, which are described as spacious 
and elegant (what would then have been thought of 
the Pullman and Wagner Palace Cars?), had each, 
like the railway carriages in Europe, three com- 
partments, curtained and cushioned and intended to 
contain eight passengers. Outside was a platform 
running the length of the car, for the convenience of 
the conductor, who, while the cars were in motion, 
would, with one arm thrown around a window-casing 
for support, with the other collect the fares. This, 
however, was not so hazardous a proceeding as might 
be supposed, since the cars, which the first year were 
drawn by horses, travelled only at the rate of nine 
miles an hour. - The first conductors were " Bill " 
Smith, '' Cheese " Burtis, Horace Kelly, and George 
Elsworth ; and the two wheel-horses were named 



* Even so late as 1849, the cars during that winter were drawn to Schenectady by 
horses— owing to some derangement, at the time, of the locomotive. 



THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVES. 1 83 



*' Turk " and " Dick " ; Captain Dexter was one of the 
drivers, and George Long was at this period the 
** Express," said express consisting of himself and a 
little leather bag, with which he went daily between 
Albany and Saratoga.* Benjamin Eldridge (father of 
Thomas) was the first cartman, and his advertisement 
in the newspapers of that time, announcing himself 
and one horse as at the service of the public, is quite 
quaint and curious in its character. 

The cars with horses were a great novelty, but when 
steam was substituted for horse-power the astonish- 
ment knew no bounds. Every day, on the arrival 
and departure of the train, one hundred'to a hundred 
and fifty people would go up to the depot to see the 
new wonder of the age ; and once, when the cars 
broke away from their couplings and ran down into 
Broadway, great was the scattering and consternation. 
The two locomotives, which were brought from Eng- 
land, were called the " Fire Fly " and the '' David 
Crockett." These names were very appropriate (much 
more so than those given at the present day), the last 
one, especially, as it recalled the favorite motto of the 
old backwoodsman — " Be sure you're right, then go 
ahead ! " Once, however, the '' David Crockett " 
failed to live up to the motto of its illustrious name- 



* George Long, who is yet at his post as chief baggage-master, is a man of an iron 
frame ar.d withal of great probity of character. One day preceding Christmas, before 
the days of raihoads, he walked from Albany to Whitehall— a distance of seventy-five 
miles— between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m., to spend the Christmas with his aged mother. So 
much for his physique ! 



1 84 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



sake • and, as the instance illustrates \\\^ pozver of the 
locomotives of those days, it is worthy of mention. 
On one occasion in the month of July, as the '' Crock- 
ett " was speeding along between Saratoga and Balls- 
ton, a bull planted himself squarely in its front. On 
came the engine ; but, marvellous to relate, the 
" Crockett " and three cars were thrown off the track, 
and the bull, which had been overthrown by the colli- 
sion, got up, shook himself, and although somewhat 
demoralized, walked deliberately off! * 

These two locomotives — each of which had a large 
hogshead, painted green, on behind to hold the water, 
and connected with the boiler by unprotected leathern 
hose — stood in the old engine-house until it was 
pulled down to make way for the new depot. They 
were then taken to Green Island, where, as I am in- 
formed, the '* Fire Fly " yet remains, a circumstance 
that is greatly to the credit of those having the mat- 
ter in charge, among whom, I believe, is Mr. John 
M. Davison. On the first trip down, the '' Fire Fly" 
broke down at Beekman's Woods, and " Hat " Mar- 
tin, who was on board, at first did not know but that 
this was the nature of the "critter," which was only 
carrying out the programme, and performing its ex- 
pected tricks ! Custom, however, soon reconciles us 
to unfamiliar objects ; and the strangeness of the 

♦ George Stephenson, the first one to utilize steam on railroads, evidently never 
could have foreseen this instance, when, on being asked in Parliament (before which 
he was urging an appropriation for his railroad to Edinburgh), "Suppose a cow 
should be on the track? " he replied, " Then, my lords, it would be very bad for the 
coo I " 



RAILROAD TO WHITEHALL, igc 

appearances was quickly lost sight of in the rapidly- 
growing prospects of Saratoga. 

The ground for the Saratoga and Whitehall Rail- 
road was first broken in April, 1836. The initiation 
of this road was also due to Mr. Davison, who, being 
indefatigable in the collection of statistics of travel 
and business, could prepare and lay them before the 
public in a concise shape. The charter, therefore, 
through his instrumentality, being secured, the capi- 
tal was subscribed for and the construction of the 
road begun, but the crash of 1837 came on before it 
had made much progress, and its managers were 
forced to suspend operations. Mr. Davison, how- 
ever, never lost faith in it, and kept steadily at work 
until he had secured its construction to the end of 
the route. The first year the road was carried 
through the Upper Village at a cost of sixty thou- 
sand dollars, when it was stopped for want of funds. 
It remained in statu qtio until ten years after, when it 
was completed to Whitehall. Mr. Robert Patterson 
(the present proprietor of the Putnam Bath-House) 
superintended its construction ; and when in Decem- 
ber, 1846, the first train went up the road to Lake 
Champlain with a load of iron, he took with him 
seventy laboring men, each armed with an axe with 
which to cut away any forest trees that might have 
fallen on the track. Previous to the completion of 
the road, fine Concord coaches ran to Whitehall — 
starting from Montgomery Hall, under the proprietor- 
ship of General Joshua T. Blanchard. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Fourth of July m Saratoga and Ballston in 1840. 

" Long, long as the banner of freedom unfurled, 
Triumphantly waves on the ocean and shore ; 
While Columbia shall flourish, the pride of the world, 
THIS DAY shall be lauded till time is no more." 

THE Fourth of July In 1840, as I learn from the 
diary of a friend, was celebrated at Saratoga 
and Ballston by a Sunday-school pageant, which, 
although in these days quite common, at that time 
was an unusual spectacle. At ten o'clock in the 
morning, the schools of the Presbyterian, Baptist, 
Methodist, and Episcopal churches assembled in the 
Baptist church with their teachers and superinten- 
dents, whence they marched in procession to the 
Presbyterian church, where appropriate exercises 
were performed. 

The church, what with the different schools, the 
villagers and the visitors, was crowded to excess, 
and many could not find admittance. The opening 
prayer was by the Rev. Joshua Fletcher, the Baptist 
clergyman. Gideon M. Davison, Esq., read the De- 
claration of Independence — prefacing it — in* one of 
his most felicitous veins, for which he was so remark- 
able — with a few well-adapted historical and patriotic 

186 



PICNIC IN PINE GROVE, 



187 



remarks. The Rev. Albert T. Chester (now the Rev. 
Dr. Chester of Buffalo) then delivered an address of 
about half an hour's length well suited to the oc- 
casion and the auditory. It was neither a political 
oration nor a sermon, but, in some respects, com- 
bined the elements of both — at once historical, moral, 
and patriotic, inculcating such lessons as should mark 
the early training of the Christian politician. Several 
set pieces of music were well executed by the united 
choirs of the village during the exercises. 

These being concluded, the schools were re-formed 
in procession, and marched under their various ban- 
ners to the beautiful grove in which the residence of 
the late Chancellor Walworth is embosomed. Halt- 
ing before the Chancellor's gate, the procession was 
joined by the schools from Ballston, which, in neat 
and beautiful array, had arrived to the number of 
several hundred in the eleven o'clock train. The 
Saratoga schools then opened to the right and left, 
forming a living avenue, through which the Ballston 
schools passed ; and entering the grove, the whole 
interesting collection surrounded an extended table 
liberally provided with refreshments consisting of 
cakes, fruits, ice-cream, and lemonade in great abun- 
dance. 

The day is described as being intensely hot, and 
an hour was most agreeably passed beneath the 
grateful umbrage of the Chancellor's evergreens, dur- 
ing which time the motherly form of the late Mrs. 



1 88 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Chancellor Walworth was seen constantly moving 
in every part of the assembly seeing that each child 
lacked nothing. How like her ! Always so unselfish 
and large-hearted, and ever attentive to the hap- 
piness of others. The Chancellor, too, how benig- 
nantly he looked over his spectacles at the merry 
youngsters before him, and how he patted each little 
head and kindly saw that each lemonade glass was 
kept full. His own little favorite Mansfield, per- 
chance, was there also, then as innocent and- joyous 
as any of that company. Alas ! could he have 
but looked forward ! Foolish, vain mortals that 
we are! who, with so many lessons constantly oc- 
curring around us, seek to pry into that futurity 
which an all-wise God so mercifully hides from our 
vision ! 

After the collation was ended, the schools of Sara- 
toga and Ballston united and returned to the railroad 
depot, whence the entire company was conveyed 
rapidly to Ballston, in two long trains of cars contain- 
ing altogether eight hundred souls. Arrived at Ball- 
ston, the schools proceeded to the church of the Rev. 
Mr. Fox, where services similar to those which had 
been observed at Saratoga, though necessarily cur- 
tailed for want of time, were performed. The prayer 
—and an excellent one it was — was by the Presby- 
terian clergyman. Rev. Daniel Stewart. The address, 
which was very happy, was by Rev. Mr. Fox.'^ After 

* Rev. Mr. Fox was formerly a lawyer of Washington County, New York State, and 



EXCURSION TO BALLSTON. 1 89 

these exercises the children walked to the residence 
of Mr. Stephen Smith, where refreshments were again 
served, and the Saratoga schools were conveyed back 
to their own village in the cars before five o'clock. 
The day was one of unalloyed enjoyment, not only 
to the schools but to those who arranged and super- 
intended the festival. Not an accident occurred ; and, 
says the private diary before alluded to, " The Sara- 
toga and Troy R. R. Co. are both entitled to many 
thanks for the pains they took in providing extra 
cars, and In making all necessary arrangements for 
the occasion entirely free of charge'' In view of 
this narrative may we not ask, Have we, in these 
years, improved any in our mode of celebrating the 
Glorious Fourth ? 



a member of the Legislature during the administration of Governor Clinton. At this 
time, however, he was an eloquent and devoted Baptist clergyman and settled in 
Ballston. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The Great Whig Gathering of 1840. — Speech of Daniel 

Webster. 

" I told ye all, 
When first we put this dangerous stone a-roUing. 
'Twould fall upon ourselves. 

Be advised : 
Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot, 
That it do singe yourself." 

Shakspere. 

IT was a great day in Saratoga on Wednesday, 
August 19, 1840, for it beheld the assembh'ng 
of more than ten thousand people (aside from its own 
population) gathered from all parts of the surround- 
ing country. It was the year of the great Harrison 
campaign — ''Tippecanoe and Tyler too" — a cam- 
paign, perhaps, that in excitement and intensity of 
feeling has only been equalled in the annals of the 
Republic by the one of 1800, when New York City 
decided the fate of John Adams. 

It was not positively known until the Monday pre- 
vious that Daniel Webster would address the people ; 
and when it was so ascertained, notices to that effect 
were spread abroad. Accordingly, at an early hour 
on Wednesday an inpouring of the people and farm- 

xqo 



''KEEP THE BALL ROLLING:' I9I 

ers from the surrounding country and villages was 
seen ; and about noon hundreds were thronging the 
streets of Saratoga bearing Whig banners with vari- 
ous emblems and devices. 

In the procession, which was formed and paraded 
through the streets, was a very neat log-cabin, 10 by 30 
feet, drawn on wheels by sixteen gray horses, driven 
by Captain Dexter. On the top was a gallery, to 
which access was had by steps at the rear, and the 
inside was furnished with seats. On this gallery and 
in front were about fifty beaux and belles of the vil- 
lage — now many of them staid matrons — who struck 
up the Harrison song, which they sung in good style. 
The cabin was decorated with flags and banners, 
bearing appropriate mottoes, and the horses each had 
a small flag on its back. Preceding it, and drawn 
by six noble bays, similarly attired, was the *' ball in 
motion." This was a huge affair, being about thirty 
feet in circumference. It was made of canvas, 
stretched on hoops, painted, and bearing the motto, 
*' Keep the Ball Rolling." 

This was in allusion to the remark of Benton in the 
beginning of the campaign — '' Solitary and alone, on 
the floor of this Senate, I set this ball rolling." And 
the Whigs kept it agoing, too, in a sense he did not 
fancy — for in the words of a doggerel at the time : 

"They rolled it straight 
Through Jersey State, 
*'fo Kinderhook it went on j 



IQ2 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



It went so quick, 
And rolled so slick, 
It rolled away from Benton" 

The ball was suspended about six feet in the air 
above the carriage in which w^ere deputations ,of 
Whigs. 

At noon a heavy thunder-shower took place, which, 
however, soon passed off, and the Aveather became 
most auspicious. At three o'clock the people assem- 
bled in mass at " Temple Grove" (where the Circular 
Railroad now is). A stage had been erected and 
seats prepared, but the immense crowd pressed around 
to such a degree as to render the place uncomfortable, 
and many were compelled to leave. It is estimated, 
however, that at least ten thousand people remained, 
one-fourth of whom were of the fair sex. 

Mr. Webster rose amid loud applause, and had 
only made a fair beginning of his speech when a 
crash was heard, and the whole platform, with about 
fifteen or twenty people, including the speaker, disap- 
peared from view. All had fallen among the broken 
lumber, and great anxiety was manifested until it was 
announced that no bones were broken and no person 
seriously injured. I was then a boy of four years and 
had been seated on my father's lap on the stand ; and 
I well recall the sudden transition from light to dark- 
ness, and the ludicrous appearance of the persons 
around me with their hats knocked over their eyes. 

Mr. Webster at length made his appearance on a 



SPEECH OF DANIEL WEBSTER. 



193 



wagon, and after a sportive allusion to the disaster — 
the caving in of the ''platform," etc. — resumed his 
speech. 

"With grave 
Aspect he rose, and in his rising seem'd 
A pillar of state ; deep in his front engraved 
Deliberation sate, and public care — 
As when of old some orator renown'd, 
In Athens or free Rome, where eloquence 
l^lourish'd, since mute, to some great cause address'd 
Stood in himself collected, while each part. 
Motion, each act, won audience ere the tongue. 

Sage he stood. 
With Atlantean shoulders, fit to bear 
• The weight of mightiest monarchies ; his look 
Drew audience, and attention still as night, 
Or summer's noontide air, while thus he spoke." 

'' Such an a-, dience," he said, '' from every part of 
the Union had never gathered before." This address 
was justly regarded, both by friends and foes, as one 
of this great man's happiest efforts. It was through- 
out a dignified appeal to the good sense of his fellow- 
citizens, whom he addressed as if they were " grave 
senators," amply able to appreciate his efforts. He 
spoke with a proper courtesy of the present and 
former Presidents, but he nevertheless dealt with un- 
sparing severity on their measures. The currency 
was the prominent theme of his remarks, and he 
quoted the course of all our former Presidents (and 
especially President Madison) as entirely adverse to 



1(^4 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Mr. Van Buren. He spoke In all instances from the 
text, and held in his hand a paper with the precise 
language which he examined, compared and contrast- 
ed in a most convincing and effective manner. 

The little story of Seth Peterson was happily given 
as an illustration of the delusions and erroneous max- 
ims of Benton, Buchanan, and other political econo- 
mists of that day. Seth was a neighbor of Mr. Web- 
ster, and a hardy Yankee of amphibious habits — half 
farmer and half fisherman — with plenty of the '' poor 
man's blessings." As he and Mr. Webster were alone 
in a little boat returning from fishing, and while 
pulling at the oars, he would sometimes give his views 
of national policy. He had heard of the new notion 
among political men — that low prices were as good 
for the poor man as high, provided the necessaries of 
life were reduced in a proportionate degree. '' Now," 
said Seth, " if everything which the poor man wants 
could be reduced in exact proportion to the reduction 
of his wages, and remain so, he would not suffer by 
the change. But I have only one thing to sell, and 
that is my labor, I have many tilings to buy, and I 
find the reduction does not reach all the articles 
which I want. My interest therefore induces me to 
be in favor of high wages." '' This," said Mr. Web- 
ster, " is practical wisdom, which is far better than the 
theories of politicians. The reasoning of my friend 
Seth comprised the whole question in the best possi- 
ble form." The rise and progress of the war against 



REFERS TO SARATOGA, 1 95 

the United States Banks was then given by the 
speaker in detail. 

Toward the latter part of Mr. Webster's speech 
occurred this eloquent paragraph, having particular 
reference to Saratoga : 

'' Fellow-citizens of the County of Saratoga ! In 
taking leave of you, I cannot but remind you how 
distinguished a place your county occupies in the his- 
tory of the country. I cannot be ignorant that, in 
the midst of you, are many at this moment who saw 
in this neighborhood the triumph of republican arms 
in the surrender of General Burgoyne. I cannot doubt 
that a fervent spirit of patriotism burns in the breast 
of their children. They helped to save their country 
amidst the storms of war. They zvill help to save it^ 
I am fully persuaded, in the present severe civil crisis. 
Fellow-citizens ! I verily believe it is true that of all 
who are left of us from the Revolution, nine-tenths 
are with us in the approaching contest. If there be 
a Revolutionary officer or soldier who has joined in 
the attacks upon General Harrison's military char- 
acter, I have not met with him. It is not, therefore, 
in the County of Saratoga that a cause sustained by 
such means is likely to prevail." 

This speech — acknowledged to be one of the great- 
est, if, indeed, not the greatest of Webster's speeches 
— occupied more than three hours in its delivery, and 
the assembled thousands testified, in the most ex- 
pressive manner, their respect for this stalwart cham- 



196 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

pion of the Constitution. In one part of his speech, 
the most honorable to his pure and manly feelings, 
the tears coursed down his cheeks, and his language 
was scarcely audible — and at that moment some 
thousands of sympathetic bosoms heaved in unison 
with the moving spirit — a silence, meanwhile, deep 
and expressive, reigning throughout that vast multi- 
tude. 

Such a day had never before been known in Sara- 
toga, and was for many after years long remembered.* 

* About a week subsequent to this meeting, another one of a similar character was 
held in the sister village of Glen's Jiialls — the log-cabin occupying the precise spot 
where the Soldier's Monument now stands. " The gathering on that occasion," 
writes Dr. A. W. Holden to the author, " I distinctly remember as being immense — 
estimated all the way from ten to twenty thousand. The delegations came in from 
the border and some from the interior towns of Washington and Saratoga Counties, 
with a huge ball rolling on to represent the cumulative and irresistible movement. Fort 
Ann — a large boat, full-rigged and manned as a frigate, a live coon on the top-mast ; 
Whitehall —SihugQ log-cabin on wheels, with the inevitable barrel of hard cider ; Argyle 
— a wagon decorated with other emblems and devices, and filled with girls gaily 
dressed and faces beaming with enthusiasm, holding in their hands flags, mottoes, 
insignia, as * terrible as an army with banners.' This large assemblage was accom- 
panied by bands of music, a piece of artillery, etc., and all the usual adjuncts of 
such an occasion. So great was the gathering that in the afternoon other stands 
were made, when other speakers held forth to the delight and entertainment of ad- 
miring crowds. Bands of singers with the voices of Stentors, ' throats of brass and 
adamantine lungs,' diversified the affair with stirring campaign songs and burlesque 
choruses. Such, ia very brief, was the great campaign gathering of 1840." 



CHAPTER XX. 

The Graveyards of Saratoga. 

" What guilt 
Can equal violations of the dead ? 
The dead, how sacred ! sacred is the dust 
Of this Heaven-labored form, erect, divine ; 
His Heaven-assumed majestic robe of earth 
He deigned to wear who hung the vast expanse 
With azure bright, and clothed the sun in gold." 

Young's Night Thoughts. 

" His ipsis legendis, redeo in memoriam mortuorum." — Cicero. 

THE above words, in the immortal De Senectute^ 
were intended by their author to divert the 
youth of Rome from the frivoHties of the '' Eternal 
City " to the contemplation of a country graveyard. 
Nor can we do better, perhaps, than to follow Cicero's 
advice, and turn away for a little while from the gay 
haunts of fashion and take a quiet stroll among the 
mansions of the dead. At any rate, I invite my read- 
ers to accompany me through the graveyards of Sara- 
toga. Those to whom such a walk is distasteful 
may skip this chapter, and I shall not be offended. . 

The places consecrated to the repose of the dead 
are the "" Sadler Burying-Ground," overlooking the 
High Rock Spring; the '' Putnam Graveyard," near 
the railroad ; "" Greenridge Cemetery"; the " Whitford 
Graveyard," and the one bordering the '' Old Beach 

197 



198 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Farm," north-west of the house of the late Dr. Dos- 
tie. Of these, the first three may be considered as 
belonging to the village proper. 

The Sadler Burying- Ground. 

On first entering within the enclosure of the " Sad- 
ler Burying-Ground " — which, by the way, is by sev- 
eral years the oldest of those above mentioned — one 
is struck with the utter air of desolation which reigns 
around. Indeed, it is nothing less than disgraceful 
that such a scene as there meets the eye should be 
allowed to exist. The entire ground is literally over- 
grown with rank herbage — in many instances com- 
pletely covering up the tombstones — and rendering it 
difficult even for a practised backwoodsman to make 
his way among them. In fact, not only weeds of a 
summer's growth, but tall shrubs, entangled or inter- 
twined with each other, meet one at every step. In ad- 
dition to which, graves, long since opened for the pur- 
pose of removing their occupants and never refilled, 
gape with open jaws to entrap the unwary. Bits of 
coffins and fragments of decayed shrouds lie strewn 
around — ghastly mementos of a former generation — 
so tluit it does not require, the "witching time of 
night when church-yards yawn and graves give up 
their dead," to impress the visitor with emblems of 
his own mortality. 

Making our way, then, with difficulty among the 
graves, and divesting ourselves for the nonce of the 



OLD TOMBSTONES. iqq 



time and place, we seem, as we read the quaint in- 
scriptions, to be in one of those old New England 
burial-grounds so vividly described by Cotton Ma- 
ther. On one stone appears the name of Con- 
I tent Jameson, 1792; on another, of Justus, who died 
in 1804; here, of Patience Jenkins, 1805 ; and again, 
of Increase Mathews, who was laid to rest in 1790. 
But how much parental love is revealed when present- 
ly we read on another stone : 

*' In memory of — 

Blumy, 

Daughter of Jotham and Amy Holmes 

Who died July 3, 1796, 

Aged 2 years and 20 days." 

This little "Blumy" was the daughter of Jotham 
Holmes, a first cousin of Jonathan Holmes, who, 
after keeping a little log-hotel near the High Rock 
for many years, built the old "Columbian,'' in 1808, 
near the Flat Rock Spring. Next to this little mound 
is an old moss-covered stone, with a willow weeping 
over an urn and torch, which is " Sacred to the mem- 
ory of Eli Taylor (one of the Taylor brothers), who 
died September 14, 1797, aged sixty-four years two 
months and twenty days." Near by is the tomb of 
Richard Searing, father of Major Searing ; and far- 
ther on, are the graves of Jabez and Sabrina Hyde — 
the grandfather of another well-known and respected 
citizen, Jefferson Hyde. One step farther, and we 



2oO REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



come to the grave of Walter Blake, who, in 1815, 
taught school in a log-hut near the High Rock, and 
to whom Mr. Walter Hendrick, when a little shaver, 
went to school. 

From some of the inscriptions, also, scattered here 
and there, we of the present generation may take a 
profitable lesson — so different are they from the ful- 
some and grandiloquent ones of our own day. Take, 
for example, the following, which, after removing the 
dank and noisome vegetation, reads as follows: 

" In memory of 

Martha, 

wife of 

Richard Flagler 

and daughter of 

John and Content Wilkinson, 

of Dutchess Co., 

who died the 19th of Ap. 1792, 

in the 26th year of her age. 



Tliis stone is raised by her 

daughter, 

and only child, as a token of respect, 

for a mother whom she was too 

young to know, but whose virtues 

She humbly hopes to imitate." 

But, perhaps, of all the graves to which interest 
attaches, none is more deserving of notice than the 
one of Fenn Wadsworth, a visitor to the Springs in 
1785— four years previous to that of Mrs. Dwight — 
and who, dying in the village, was, so far as is known, 



FENN WADSWORTH, 201 

the first person who died at the Springs. The in- 
scription is as follows : 

"This monument is erected to the memory of 

Fenn Wadsworth, Esq., 

Who was born in Farmington, 

in the State of Connecticut, 

and died on the 21st day of June, A. D. 1785. 



His amiable manners and disinterested 

Benevolence endeared him to his 

numerous friends and acquaintances ; 

while his abilities, perseverance and integrity 

secured to him the esteem of his fellow-citizens. 

By steady attention to the duties of a 

Confidential Bestowment, under the 

State of Connecticut, he impaired 

His health, and died in this place 

In the 34th year of his age." 

I have taken considerable pains to ascertain some- 
what of the circumstances under which the person 
who lies under this tablet died. As might be sup- 
posed, the undertaking, at this distance of time, was 
attended with difficulty. Nevertheless, correspand- 
ence reveals the fact that he belonged to one of the 
original families, who, coming out either in the " May- 
flower," or in another vessel shortly after, subse- 
quently settled in Hartford, and Farmington, Conn., 
in the latter of which towns he was born. To this 
family belonged General Wadsworth, who fell in the 
late civil war at the battle of Chancellorsville. Early 
appointed to a position under the State government 



202 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



of Connecticut, through the influence of his uncle 
Jeremiah Wadsworth, who was commissary under 
General Washington,* he sank into an early decline. 
Contrary, however, to the advice of his physician, he 



:3 V- ^. 



^.' 







'^=^^r^i^fm£sA P'-' 1^--.-, 



Rope Ferry. 



remained at his post until, when too late, he consent- 
ed to go to the High Rock Spring. At that period 
such a journey, even from Hartford, was no ordinary 
undertaking. Loving hands, however, prepared him 
for the trip, and in the early summer of 1785 he set 
off on horseback. From Albany he travelled along 



* Jeremiah Wadsworth was the father of Daniel Wadsworth, who built the Tower 
on Talcott Mountain (see Sillt man's Tour), and the Athenaeum, and other public 
buildings in Hartford, Conn. 



DEATH OF FENN WADSWORTH. 203 

the river road to what is now Wilbur's Basin (near 
Quaker Springs) and thence to the '^ Narrows" of 
Lake Saratoga. Here, where is now Moon's Lake 
House, he was ferried over in Indian canoes with 
boards laid across, by Levi Fish, the one who subse- 
quently established the '■'■ Rope Ferry." At that 
time there was no public road from the lake to the 
village — that is, if the little collection of log-huts can 
be so called. A narrow foot-path only led from the 
Lake to Squire John Gilbert's,* at the cross-roads, 
whence it struck the North Spring Road, and, passing 
by the old Searing place, came out at the High Rock. 
Following this road, now on horseback and now on 
foot, Mr. Wadsworth finally reached the High Rock, 
or the Round Rock, as it was then called. Here he 
remained for two weeks, growing by degrees feebler, 
until the oil in the life-lamp gave out. At that 
time metallic coffins were uncommon ; and his friends 
laid him where he now rests, and erected over his re- 
mains what at that day was a handsome memorial — a 
large flat slab of Connecticut sandstone. 

" No further seek his merits to disclose, 

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode 
(There they alike in trembling hope repose), 
The bosom of his Father and his God ! "f 

* Where Seymour Gilbert now (1875) resides. "Squire John " was the father of 
Morris, and the grandfather of Daniel Gilbert. 

t Another remarkable feature which strikes one on looking over the tombstones in 
this burial-ground is, that most of the names carved on them are entirely strange to the 
present generation. Who, for example, will recognize such names as Danforth, Hugh- 



204 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



Putting up the rickety bars, we cross the valley 
to the railroad, and following its track through and 
beyond the depot, come, just south of Congress 
Street to 

The Putna7n Graveyard, 

This piece of ground was given to the village, in 
i8io, by Gideon Putnam; and in it many of the 
"forefathers of the hamlet" slept, until in recent 
years they were removed by their relatives to the 
present Greenridge Cemetery. Still, a number of the 
early settlers yet remain where they were originally 
laid to rest. Here is Dr. Clark ; and here, too, lie a 
part of the family of Nathan Lewis, who built the 
second brick house ever erected in the village.* Al- 
though this graveyard is not quite as forlorn as the 
one just visited, yet the neglect in the form of 
defaced tombstones and dilapidated fences — through 
which swine and fowls range at will — is only too 
lamentable. Amid all this confusion one solitary 
willow-tree grimly stands in the centre of the en- 
closure, like a scarred and battered sentinel faithfully 
guarding his post. 

Connected with this burial-ground is an anecdote, 
the relation of which may explain a mystery that has 
existed in the minds of our citizens for many years. 

son, Loving, Wickens, Wells, Adsit, Griggs, and Bitchard ? And, indeed, this circum- 
stance IS not a little singular when it is considered that Saratoga is not so old but that 
descendants of these people should still be among us. 

• Now (1875) occupied by George H. Fish & Son as a drug-store. 



GREENRIDGE CEMETERY. 20 5 



One evening, during the height of the Millerite ex- 
citement, the villagers returning from a '' protracted 
meetingr" were astonished at seeing^ a briijht li^ht 
hovering over the graveyard. For an hour or more 
i crowds watched the apparently supernatural spectacle 
with feelings of mingled awe and wonder, a few not 
hesitating to associate it with the end of the world. 
Nor was the appearance, though long remembered, 
ever solved. The explanation is this: Just before 
meeting Avas out two waggish brothers (Daniel and 
John W ) sent up a kite with a lighted lantern at- 
tached ; and, hiding behind a tombstone, enjoyed 
hugely the comments of the awe-struck people. 

Grecnridge Cemetery. 

Leaving the '' Putnam Graveyard," and again cross- 
ing the railroad, a walk by the " Clarendon " and Gen- 
eral Batcheller's residence brings us to the entrance 
of " Greenridge Cemetery." Although it has not the 
antiquity of age, yet it is well worthy of a quiet stroll 
along its avenues. Without the showiness of Green- 
wood, or the clustering memories of Mount Auburn, 
or even the picturesqueness of Laurel Hill or of the 
Albany Cemetery, it still attracts by the quiet beauty 
of its surroundings.* The grounds, which, thanks to 
the former president of the village, Mr. James H. 



* When the ground for this cemetery was first enclosed it was supposed to be 
ample for many years to come ; but, alas ! for us all, scarcely thirty years have 
elapsed, and it is found imperatively necessary to enlarge its domain ! 



2o6 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Wric^ht and to its present one, Mr. Charles Allen, are 
kept singularly neat and beautiful, occupy a site on the 
outskirts of Saratoga toward the south, in the midst 
of a grove of sober-looking pines, which harmonize 
with the pensive character of the surrounding plain. 
And here, were I so inclined, I could dwell on the lu- 
dicrous, which even in this modern cemetery meets the 
eye;*'^ but I am not, nor are ygu, gentle reader, so 
disposed. Rather let us tread softly above the last 
resting-places of the dead, and trace upon the marble 
the affectionate characters which proclaim the vanity 
of men and worldly things. It tends to profit the 
living to commune thoughtfully with the dead — to lay 
to heart, from what there was, what each living man 
must be. And yet, as we saunter among the graves, 
we recall the quaint and beautiful language of Os- 
borne : *' He that lieth under the herse of heavenne is 
convertible into swete herbes and flowers, that maye 
rest in bosoms that wolde shrink from the ugly bugs 
which may be found crawling in the magnificent tomb 
of Henry the VH." For ourselves, " much rather had 
we sleep where the moonbeams would convert into 
diamonds the dew-drops gathering on the rosebuds, 

* Of such a character is the following Inscription on the tombstone of an engineer 
who was killed by his locomotive. The engine is carved in alto-relievo^ with a da- 
guerreotype of the deceased inserted in the window of the tender, and under it is the 
following: 

" My engine now lies cold and still, 
No water does her boiler fill ; 
The wood affords its flames no more ; 
My days of usefulness are o'er ! " 



• GREENRIDGE CEMETERY. 20/ 

than to lie beneath the dome of St. Peter's, and rest 
where the soft south wind would wake the fragrance 
of blossoms which affectionate hands had planted, 
than to moulder in the undiscovered chambers of the 
eternal pyramids." 

In '' Greenridge," among the graves of sleepers un- 
known to fame — to whose memory, nevertheless, affec- 
tion has reared the speaking tablet — lie the remains 
of those two talented sisters, Margaret and Lucretia 
Davidson, and their brother, the Lieutenant. Of the 
two former, especially, it may well be said, in the lan- 
guage of Habbington, they were among those who 

" Keep something of their glory in their dust." 

Near by, too, lies Coleman, the splendid musical 
genius, whose invention will live to perpetuate his 
name long after his elaborate monument shall have 
crumbled into dust. Here, also, are Cowen, Willard, 
and Walworth — three of the great legal minds of the 
century; and here, too, lie many whose names are 
household words with all who love Saratoga. Of such 
are the Putnams, the Waltons, the Bryans, the 
Beaches, the Westcotts, Dr. North, Judge Doe, Judge 
"^^arren, E. R. Stevens, Gideon M.Davison, Rev. Mr. 
old, "Elder" Wayland, and a score of others 
live in the hearts of their survivors — the best 

Ardians of their virtues ! 

Here, again, lie the remains of Colonel William L. 
Stone, the friend of the Red Man. Associated with 



2o8 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



this grave is an anecdote which, in this connection, 
the son may be pardoned for relating of the father. 
A close friendship existed between the late Mr. 
Schoolcraft and Colonel Stone, which their community 
of tastes rendered enduring until death. Both loved 
the Red Man ; both used their best powers freely in 
his behalf, and both became the pioneers in hewing 
down the prejudices which had grown up around his 
character. In the summer of 1844, ^ ^^^^ days after 
Colonel Stone's death, Mr. Schoolcraft visited Sara- 
toga ; and while standing one afternoon, in the mellow 
sunset, amono; the evergreens that huno^ over the crrave 
of his friend, he composed an elegiac poem, from which 
I quote the following stanzas : 

'* They bore him up by a winding road 
To a burial-ground in the wood, 
Where the tall pines cast their shade around 
To hallow the solitude. 

*' Awav from the town and waters bright, 
Where fashion and beauty cling, 
Remote from the thoughtless multitude 
And the gaieties of the spring. 

" 'Tis a new-made ground* — a mile away — 
And stumps and trees stand round, 
As monuments of the forest rule 
Upon that virgin ground. 



* Colonel Stone was the first person whose remains were laid in Greenridge Ceme- 
tery. Other tombstones, it is true, bear older dates ; but these were removed 
thither from other grave-yards. 



DESECRATION OF THE DEAD. 



209 



.** The ancient wood-genii shall wake up to life, 
And join with the white man to weep 
O'er one who remembered the Red Sons of strife, 
And scattered fresh bays where they sleep." 

Before closing this chapter, I wish to say a word re- 
garding a late rumor to the effect that it is in con- 
templation to remove the remains of those who sleep 
in the '' Sadler Burying-Ground " to some other place. 
In the same spirit of vandalism the crumbling remains 
of those who — some of them for more than a century 
— had slept beneath the tower of the Old North 
Dutch Church in New York City were removed, in 
1866, to Greenwood Cemetery. In tlie majority of 
cases, however, the silver plates once attaclied to the 
coffins (mingled with fine dust) were the only remains. 
The dust was separated as carefully as possible, placed 
in boxes, and removed to Greenwood. Still, in the 
chaotic state in which the ashes of the dead lay, com- 
plete accuracy was impossible ; and perhaps the dust 
of persons who, while on earth, cherished bitter ani- 
mosity toward each other, is destined to repose in the 
same casket ! 

The reason given for the proposed removal of the 
dead of the " Sadler Burying-Ground " is, I under- 
stand, that the land may be converted into building- 
lots ! We here add our unqualified condemnation of 
the movement. It is a disgrace to the age and to 
the village that old graveyards are thus invaded by 
the demands of business, and the repose of the dead 



210 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



violated because the village has grown. Old grave- 
yards ought to be venerated as holy ground. Men 
should no more consent to such changes than they 
would consent to sell the bones of their own fathers 
and mothers for knife-handles. If it is thought best 
to have no more, graveyards within the corporate 
limits, well and good ; but let those which are there 
stand as a memorial to the old and good men who 
sleep beneath. But let them sleep ! Our condemna- 
tion applies to all the removals of churchyards which 
have taken place or are now going forward in differ- 
ent cities of the land. There is no excuse for it, or 
palliation of the offence against propriety. If neces- 
sary, prohibit any further burials in these old grave- 
yards, but let not a spadeful of the dust of the fathers 
be sold for gold. * 



* " We call the Mohammedans," says a writer in a recent number of Harper's 
Magazine^ " a pagan nation and but half civilized ; yet not a single stone is removed, 
under any circumstances, from a Mohammedan grave. Such removal is considered 
the deepest sacrilege, and no amount of piastres could purchase a rood of a Moham- 
medan burial-place. The Orient is not yet sufficiently enlightened to see the advan- 
tage which we Americans so clearly perceive of turning old graveyards into building- 
sites, and using the dust of our forefathers as a basis of profitable speculation." 

There is an old graveyard at Bacon Hill— a few miles only from the " Sadler Burj^- 
ing-Ground " — yet containing a grave of the last centurj', walled up with mason-work 
to protect it from the wild beasts. Is not that grave, in the present ago, more in dan- 
ger of desecration from animals of a different species ? 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Queer People. — Angeline Tiibbs., Tom Camel^ Madame 

Jumel, etc, 

" A turban girds her brow, 
Whence, all untrammelled, her dark, thin hair 
Streams fitfully upon the storm-beat front ; 
Her eye at rest, pale fire in its black orb 
Innocuous sleeps — but roused, Jove's thunder-cloud 
Enkindles not so fiercely." Anon. 

" It is a good thing to laugh at, at any rate ; and if a straw can tickle a man, it is 
an instrument of pleasure." — Dryden. 

T T would be passing strange if Saratoga should 
-*- not have known, during its existence, many curi- 
ous characters. Nearly every hamlet in Europe and 
America has had, at one time or another, a few singu- 
lar beings who have furnished the frame-work of 
various rornances. The most celebrated novelists, 
indeed, have not hesitated to draw from these sources 
much of their inspiration — Scott and Dickens, Irving 
and Hawthorne, using this element to very great ad- 
vantage, especially in the romances of '' Waverley," 
*' Barnaby Rudge," '' Bracebridge Hall," and '' The 
House of the Seven Gables." 

In short sketches like these, we can but glance at a 
few of the most remarkable of them, and that, too, 
in the most cursory manner. To mention even the 



212 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



numerous characters that have flitted across the scene 
would fill more space than is at my disposal. I can, 
therefore, only jot down a very few that have come 
under my own personal observation. Doubtless, how- 
ever, this will revive in the minds of the older residents 
numerous anecdotes, the mere remembrance of which 



/?f?^#^i 




will afford many pleasurable thoughts of the days of 
*' ye olden time," and if I succeed in this, my chapter, 
defective as it otherwise may be, will not have been 
written in vain. 

I pass by, then, such people as ** Dick McLease " ; 
" Primus Budd," the sexton of the old Bethesda 
Chapel, and his dog; " Black Sam," with his wonder- 



ANGELINE TUBES. 



213 



ful span of horses; "Crazy Jimmy"; ''Johnny 
Cox"; ''Tommy Lloyd," and his rhymes; "Bel- 
cher," and his rattlesnakes ; " Gingerbread Frank," 
and the efforts of the villagers to dig him out of the 
well ; " Sam Hill," the old basket-maker, whose por- 
trait, by a German artist, now adorns the Grand 
Union ; " Crazy Susan," with her person decked out 
in gaudy-colored ribbons ; and Welland, who was 
finally drowned in the Battenkill, and come to the 
most remarkable character of them all, 

Angeline Ticbbs. 

Just north of the village of Saratoga Springs rises 
a bald promontory of rock — called " Mount Vista" 
— the gray masses of which impend frowningly over 
a deep glen beneath. Near the base of the moun- 
tain at this point, and within the ravine, in a lonely 
and wretched hovel, lived, a few years since, a female 
of mysterious and uncertain character — by name An- 
geline Tubbs. Surrounded by a numerous brood of 
cats — her sole companions — she led a solitary life at 
home, and was considered a vagrant abroad — subsist- 
ing in part by mendicity, and in part by laying small 
contributions upon those simple-hearted and prurient 
rustic maidens who wi-shed to peep far enough into 
futurity to learn something of their future husbands. 
Sometimes she had been discovered by those travers- 
ing the mountains attempting to draw a portion of 
her precarious living by trapping, and sometimes the 



21 A REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



disappearance of a turkey or a fowl from the premises 
of a farm-house was charged to her agency instead 
of Sir Reynard's. Her lonely and uninviting habita- 
tion, however, was avoided by the good people in the 
region round about, as though it had been the seat of 
the plague, or the tabernacle of Azazel. Her general 
appearance was as peculiar as her habits of life were 
erratic and unusual. Indeed, her whole life and char- 
acter had ever been shrouded in a dark cloud of mys- 
tery. She had been a resident of this vicinity for 
many, many years, and simple-minded people did not 
scruple to declare her little better than a sorceress, 
who practised incantations and held familiar converse 
with the spirits of darkness. At the period of 
which we are writing she was probably ninety years 
old, erect in her form, and elastic in her movements. 
Her features were sharp, sallow, and wrinkled ; her 
nose high and hooked, like the beak of an eagle, while 
her sunken, coal-black eyes, whenever crossed in her 
purposes, or otherwise angered, flashed with the pierc- 
ing and terrible glances of the basilisk. For more 
than sixty years she had lived within a short distance 
from Saratoga. Sometimes she was in the village, 
practising as a fortune-teller, by way of paying for 
supplies of food, which from fear would never have 
been denied her; but for the most part, her time was 
occupied in wandering about the woods, and among 
the hills — climbing from crag to crag over the rocks, 
and traversing the glens and ravines of the neighbor- 



A VERITABLE WITCH, 21$ 

ing highlands. Many were the wild and startHng 
tales — especially in the early settlement of the village 
— told of Angeline in the neighborhood which it 
would not be edifying to repeat. Had she been mis- 
tress of the whirlwind, she could not have been more 
delighted with storms. She had been seen, her form 
erect and with extended arms, standing upon the 
verge of fearful precipices, in the midst of the most 
awful tempests, conversing, as it were, with unseen 
spirits, her long, matted hair streaming in the wind, 
while the thunder was riving the rocks beneath her 
feet, arid the red lightning encircling her as with a 
winding-sheet of flame. 

In traversing the country and the village, she uni- 
formly wore a red cloak with.a hood ; a handkerchief, 
in imitation of a turban, was bound upon her head, 
over which she brought the hood in foul weather. 
Indeed, from her appearance and occupation it was 
fortunate for herself that she lived more than a cen- 
tury after the tragedies enacted by our Puritan ances- 
tors at Salem. 

I have said that at the period of which I write she 
was without doubt fully ninety years of age. It was 
rarely that she could be persuaded to come out of 
her gibbering moods save to tell a fortune; but, occa- 
sionally, to the late Mrs. Washington Putnam, to 
whom she was always more communicative than to 
others — owing, doubtless, to the kindness with which 
that lady always treated her — she would detail 



2i6 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



glimpses of her past history. Mrs. Putnam was al- 
ways of the opinion that Angeline's statement to the 
effect that she was a girl of fifteen at the time of Bur- 
goyne's surrender was true. Other circumstances, 
moreover, which I have not the space to mention in 
detail, convinced me also that her story was correct. 
For example, she has narrated to me anecdotes con- 
nected with that campaign which a person of her 
io-norance would have found it impossible to obtain 
otherwise than from personal observation and remem- 
brance. Old residents of the town, likewise, who 
first knew her as early as 1820, inform me that she 
seemed as old and wrinkled at that time as when she 
died in 1865. The truth regarding her early history 
is very difficult to obtain. The late Dr. Steel, how- 
ever, who knew more of it than any other, was wont 
to say that he had been informed by early settlers 
that in her youth she had been a girl of surpassing 
beauty. Having, however, in early life been seduced 
under promise of marriage, she had been cast off and 
thrown "like a loathsome weed away," when, becom- 
ing crazed, she had ever afterwards led a wandering 
life ; and this, probably, is the truth.* 

Connected with Angeline are a number of anec- 
dotes, the first that occurs to me being the manner 
in which *' Bloomerism " was *' squelched" through her 
agency. When that mania first broke out in Saratoga, 



* During the late civil war, a number of Angeline's photographs were struck oflf 
and sold for the benefit of herself to the soldiers. 



SCENE AT A CAMP-MEETING. 



217 



some young ladies dressed her up in that costume, in 
which she paraded up and down the street, and in 
the hotels. The effect of this was that the entire 
Bloomer movement was brought into just ridicule ; 
and, so far as Saratoga was concerned, was ended 
for ever. 

I well remember, also, a scene which happened 
in 1850 while a *' camp-meeting" was holding in the 
*' Patrick Neighborhood." To appreciate the anec- 
dote, it should be stated that the late Judge , 

one of Saratoga's most respected and estimable 
citizens — was never blessed with a child of either sex 
— a fact which was universally known. 

During the camp-meeting, I happened into a tent 
where several *' elders" were on their knees in prayer. 
As the custom was, some one would exclaim, '* God 
bless so and so," when the " elders," without pausing, 
would make the person thus mentioned the subject 
of prayer. Within this tent were Angeline Tubbs, 
Mrs. Dr. Rush, and Madame Jumel. Just as I en- 
tered, some one called in a loud voice, " God bless 

Judge 's daughter!" Whereupon the elders — 

who being from a distance had no suspicion but that 
the Judge's daughter was a veritable personage — 

prayed for some fifteen minutes for '' Judge 's 

daughter! " Nor v/as the fraud discovered until the 
same wicked wag exclaimed, *' God bless Angeline 
Tubbs and Madame Jumel" — when, amid the 
laughter of the " uncircumcised," Angeline and 



2i8 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Madame Jumel rushed out of the tent, and the 
meeting broke up in confusion. 

Tom Camel and Madame Jumel, 

But perhaps, of the male genus, none have excited 
more notice of a certain kind than a colored man by 
the name of " Tom Camel." This person was de- 
cidedly an original genius. Like Yorick, a fellow " of 
infinite jest," and withal of great shrewdness in some 
respects, he yet, at times, was, in his simplicity, a 
perfect specimen of the Southern negro. It is related 
of a certain Canadian miller, that on being elected to 
the provincial legislature, he sought to better the 
condition of his craft by declaring that the miller's 
toll (one-tenth) was so small that no one could 
manage to live upon it. He therefore proposed a law 
— which remains to this day — making the toll one 
twelfth ! Of a similar nature was Tom's idea of 
money; for when, on a certain occasion, he was asked 
to pay a bill of one dollar, he indignantly exclaimed, 
'* A dollar I will not give, but I have no objections to 
pay ten shillings ! " 

On another occasion, also, when he was engaged by 
the late William B. White to saw a branch off a tree, 
"Tom" gravely seated himself on the limb, and 
sawed away on it, between himself and the trunk — and 
so continued until the limb falling, and '* Tom " with 
it, some fifteen feet to the ground, brought the sawyer 



TOM CAMEL AND MADAME JUMEL. 2I9 

to a more correct understanding of the theory of 
trimming trees ! 

The greatest and most historic occasion, however, 
in which *' Tom " figured was in 1849, during one of 
the visits of Madame Jumel to this village. Madame 
Jumel, whose criminal intimacy with Aaron Burr had 
brought her into contempt (those were the days 
when free-love doctrines were estimated at their true 
value), was then staying at the United States, and 
she endeavored by a magnificent equipage to dazzle 
the understanding, and thus atone for her disgraceful 
dismissal from the ranks of Diana. It was therefore 
determined to administer to her a lesson. 

Accordingly, one afternoon, when her carriage, 
with a numerous retinue of outriders, drew up in 
front of the United States to take her to the lake, lo ! 
just as she drove off, another equipage appeared 
directly following her. This carriage was driven by 
Smith Brill, in full livery, and behind, in a huge 
clothes-basket for a seat, sat Caleb Adams, also full 
rigged in footman's dress — while plainly visible 
within the open carriage, and dressed up in woman's 
clothes, sat " Tom " Camel, representing the veritable 
mistress of Aaron Burr! It was the custom of 
Madame Jumel, before going out of the village, to 
drive slowly through Broadway, that the unsophis- 
ticated inhabitants might have a proper sense of their 
own insignificance ; and before it was discovered, 
Madame's carriage, followed by her counterfeit in 



220 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



♦' double," had paraded the entire length of the street 

'* Tom " Camel meanwhile fanning himself with a 

large fan, and bowing and courtesying to the crowds 
which had now gathered on every side ! When the 
trick was at last discovered, Madame Jumel by turns 
threatened, and pleaded, and offered bribes. But 
"Brill "and ''Tom" were inexorable; and the two 
equipages actually went to the lake and back in the 
same order. It is my impression that owing to this 
exhibition, Madame Jumel made this her last visit to 
the Springs, but of this I am not certain. 

We cannot close this chapter without an allusion 
to one who, in former times, was one of Saratoga's 
great celebrities. We refer to 

Lord Wilson^ 

He visits Saratoga now but seldom ; but we may, 
in imagination, easily put ourselves back to the days 
of yore, and fancy that Lord Wilson, having received 
permission from Mr. William H. McCaffrey, the genial 
host of the American, is now holding forth, according 
to his wont, on the steps of that house to its guests. 
This personage — whom for the habitues of Saratoga 
not to know is to *' argue themselves unknown " — is 
possessed of the idea that the Atlantic Ocean can be 
bridged, and Saratoga made the capital of the world ! 
Armed with maps and charts, he has been for the last, 
ten years prepared to demonstrate the feasibility of 
these plans to whoever will listen. His voice is eood : 



LORD WILSON. 221 



the bandanna which surrounds his neck unusually 
clean ; and the brass buttons on his velvet short- 
clothes highly polished. His articulation is distinct, 
but it runs on like the unwinding of a clock ; and, 
like it, soon comes to an abrupt, dead stop. Another 
great advantage he possesses is this : he talks exactly 
as well upon one subject as another ; and, until he 
runs down, can discuss canals and caucuses, banks and 
pauperism, '* reconstructions," and his own pet pro- 
jects, with the greatest care imaginable, and in the 
most statesmanlike manner. An adventure, more- 
over, occurred to our ** Lord " during the recent Civil 
War, which, as far as I have noticed, has never ap- 
peared in any newspaper or even " History of the late 
Rebellion." Chancing to be in Washington, just pre- 
vious to the second battle of Bull Run, he somehow 
got into the Confederate lines, and was taken pri- 
soner by one of their pickets. Finding the maps and 
charts upon his person, they thought they had ob- 
tained a great prize, and hastened with him to head- 
quarters. Upon his beginning, however, straightway 
to explain to General Lee and his staff the feasibility 
of bridging the Atlantic they soon discovered their 
mistake ; and telling him that the " Atlantic could 
wait till the end of the war," sent him safely back into 
the Union lines. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Historical Characters— Anecdotes of Joseph Bonaparte, 
McDonald Clarke, Lafayette, Cooper, Putnam, Fulton, 
Elisha Williams, Van Bure?t, etc. 

" There is an order 
Of mortals on the earth, who do become 
Old in their youth, and die ere middle age ; 
Some perishing of pleasure — some of study — 
Some worn with toil — some of mere weariness — 
Some of disease — and some insanitjr — 
And some of wither'd, or of broken heart." 

Manfred. 

THE fountains of Saratoga will ever be the resort, 
in summer, of wealth, intelligence, and fashion. 
As a political observatory, no place can be more fitly- 
selected. Gentlemen are continually coming from 
and going to every section of the country ; informa- 
tion from all quarters is received daily ; and it is 
the best of all places for politicians to congregate. 
The great " combination " of opposite parties, and 
opposing interests, by which General Jackson, Mr. 
Eaton, and Mr. Van Buren the '' Great Magician," 
were brought into power, and John Quincy Adams 
turned out, was chiefly formed here ; and it was here 
that the old Clintonians were sold out to '' Jackson & 
Co." Saratoga, too, for a long series of years, was the 
headquarters of the " Albany Regency," under the 



DISTINGUISHED VISITORS, 



223 



leadership of Edwin Croswell and John Cramer, a 
combination which perhaps has never been equalled 
in the influence which it exerted over the political 
destinies of New York State, and through it upon 
the nation. 

But it is not of politicians, as such, that I would 
now speak. During the three-quarters of a century 
of its existence, Saratoga has entertained more per- 
sons distinguished in letters, human and divine, and 
identified with the world's history, than any other 
place of the kind on the globe. 

Time would fail me to mention in detail the recep- 
tion of Van Buren, who, in the early autumn of 1832, 
like the hero of a German melodrama, came clotlied 
in a storm ; the arrival of Senator Douglas, amid the 
thundering of cannon, and the graceful speech of 
welcome by Judge Willard, in the summer of i860 ; 
the flight of the rebel Papineau from Montreal, with 
a price set upon his head, and his stay while here at 
the residences of Chancellor Walworth and Judge 
Cowen ; the visit, as the guest of the former distin- 
guished citizen, of Mar Yohanna, the Nestorian 
bishop, in 1845 * ^^^ marvellous exhibition of skill 
between M. Phelan and J. B. Gale, before Major-Gen- 
eral Scott, as a spectator ; the tributes paid to Madi- 
son, De Witt Clinton, Clay, Webster, Calhoun, Tyler, 
Fillmore, and Seward ; the genial and famiUar coun- 
tenance of Washington Irving, who for many seasons 
occupied a cottage at the '* United States" ; and 



224 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



lastly, the individual traits of Wayland, Fuller, Murray 
(Kirwan), Cheever, Kent, Hill, and a host of others 
equally distinguished in their several walks of life. 
All I may hope to do is to photograph, and thus put 
into permanent form, a few characters as they flit 
across the camera of memory. 

Joseph Bonaparte. 

In 1825, Joseph Bonaparte, the ex-King of Spain, 
who, with a numerous retinue, was then stopping at 
the " United States," was present at a dinner party 
given in his honor by Mr. Henry Walton. He was 
accompanied 'by his sister, Caroline Murat, and two 
youn* ladies, his daughters. Though a crowned king, 
he looked very much like other mortals. His man- 
ners, dress, and equipage were wholly unassuming, 
quiet and unpretentious, as was likewise the case 
with the ladies of his family. The rank was there, 
and needed no demonstration. In the course of the 
dinner, Bonaparte all at once turned deadly pale, and, 
with the perspiration standing in great beads on his 
forehead, turned imploringly to Mr. Walton, gasping 
out, ** Un chat ! un chat ! " 

** John," said Mr. Walton to his waiter, '' take away 
the cat ; it disturbs this gentleman." 

*' Cat, sir," echoed John, " I can see no cat ! " 

The other members of the family now joined in 
the search ; and, at last, sure enough, under the side- 
board, crouched away in a dark corner, was discov- 



McDonald clarke. 225 



ered a poor little frightened kitten. But it was not 
until Bonaparte had lain down for some hours that 
he fully recovered from the nervous prostration into 
which the presence of the little feline had thrown 
him. 

McDonald Clarke. 

The dinner was followed in the evening by a bril- 
liant party. The entertainment was rich and served 
in excellent style. There was much beauty among 
the ladies, and the circle of gentlemen embraced 
learning and intellect. Among other literary gentle- 
men present, were Theodore S. Eay, Paulding, Irving, 
Verplanck, and Joseph R. Chandler. McDonald 
Clarke, the " Mad Poet," was also among the guests. 
Clarke did not remain long, nor, while present, did he 
circulate among the company. Most of the time he 
stood by the door, his pose and style the familiar 
attitude of the classic Napoleon, with arms folded. 
His head, however, rested not upon his breast, but 
looked up to the ceiling ; while on one foot was a 
jack-boot and on the other a large, clumsy shoe. 
After he had gone, Colonel Stone related to the com- 
pany the history of the stanza by Clarke that had 
lately appeared in the Commercial. It seems that 
Lang, in his New York Gazette, alluded to *' Mc- 
Donald Clarke, that fellow with zigzag brains." The 
insulted poet rushed into the sanctum of the Com- 
mercial, blazing with fury. 



225 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



"• Do you see, Colonel," said he, *' what Johnny 
Lano- says of me ? He calls me a fellow with zigzag 

rains! 

" Well, and so you are," said the Colonel. " I 
think it is a very happy description of you." 

" Oh ! that's very well for you to say," retorted 
McDonald. ** I'll take a joke from you ; but Johnny 
Lang shall not destroy my well-earned reputation. 
Zigzag brains, forsooth ! Zigzag brains — think of it, 
Colonel ! I must have a chance to reply to him in 
your paper." 

*' How much space would you want ? " enquired the 
Colonel. 

*' I think I could use him up in a column and a 
half," said McDonald. 

*'A column and a half! " said the Colonel. " Stuff! 
you shall have no such space. I'll give you just four 
lines, and if that will answer, fire away ; but not a 
line more." 

The poet, thus driven into a narrow corner, sat 
down, and instantly wrote off the following neat epi- 
gram : 

*' I can tell Johnny Lang, in the way of a laugh, 
In reply to his rude and unmannerly scrawl, 
That in my humble sense it is better by half 

To have brains that are zigzag than no brains at all." 

"There, Colonel," said he, ''let Johnny Lang put 
that in his pipe and smoke it." * 



• The remains of poor Clarke were first buried in the Greenwood Cemetery some 



ANECDOTES OF LAFAYETTE. 22^ 

Lafayette^ Colonel Sto?ie, and Thurlow Weed, 

In the course of this same summer, 1825, General 
Lafayette, who, as the guest of the nation, was then 
making his memorable tour of the country, chanced 
to make one of a group in the parterre of the ** Unit- 
ed States Hotel." Mrs. Dr. Rush was also present, 

distance beyond Mount Washington ; but the trustees of the property having gener- 
ously given a resting-place to his mouldering body, with permission to select the spot, 
it was afterwards exhumed and removed to a lovely little knoll, just on the margin of 
the Sylvan Lake, and not far from the ''stranger's vault." Here Clarke now lies, in 
the midst of rural beauty such as would have called forth the most rapturous strains 
of his distempered muse. The monument, which was erected by a few kind-hearted 
friends, is simple, chaste, and elegant. It consists of a single block, square, resting 
upon a slab, and supporting a truncated pyramid— the whole in white marble, and 
having for its foundation a square platform of granite. On the side of the block 
which meets the approaching spectator is a profile medallion of " the mad poet," in 
high relief — not a perfect likeness, but yet a very good one. Beneath it are inscribed 
the dates of his birth and death — June i8, 1798, and March 5, 1842. 
On the next side is this inscription : 

(Epitaph written by himself.) 

Sacred 

To the Memory 

of 

POOR McDonald clarke. 

Let silence gaze — but curse not his grave. 

McD. C. 

On the third side, facing the Sylvan Lake, are four lines selected from his own 
poetry : 

" But what are human plaudits now ? 

He never deemed them worth his care : 
Yet death has twined around his brow 
The wreath he was too proud too wear." 
On the fourth side are also four lines, written by a friend : 
" By friendship's willing hand erected — 
By genius, taste, and skill adorned — 
For one too long in life neglected, 
But now in death sincerely mourned." 



228 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



as was also Mrs. Harrison Gray Otis, and Madame 
Jumel, the wife — or, as many supposed, only the mis- 
tress — of Aaron Burr. There ^yas a question raised 
at the time whether Madame Jumel should be admit- 
ted into tlie circle ; but as Lafayette had known Burr 
intimately during the Rev^olution, and as she claimed 
to be his wife, it was thought best to waive all scruples 
and accept her as one of the party. Lafayette was 
unusually animated, and gave an account of his call 
upon Red-Jacket, the week previous, in Buffalo. Li 
the course of his visit, Red-Jacket enquired of the 
General whether he remembered being at the treaty 
of peace with the Six Nations, at Fort Stanwix, in 
1784? Lafayette answered that he had not forgotten 
that great council, and asked his interrogator if he 
knew what had become of the young chief who, on 
that occasion, opposed, with so much eloquence, 
*' the bur\'in"; of the tomahawk ? '' 

" He is before you," was the instant reply. 

'' Li fact," added Lafayette, '' this extraordinary 
man, although much worn down by time and intem- 
perance, possesses yet, in a surprising degree, the ex- 
ercise of all his faculties." 

By this time the company were about to separate, 
when Lafayette, shaking hands with Colonel Stone 
and Mr. Weed (both of whom had accompanied him 
on his trip through the State), asked if he could be of 
service to them in return for their service and atten- 
tion ? 



mm 



ta^— 



MRS. DR. RUSH AND LAFAYETTE. 



229 



'' All that Mr. Weed and myself desire," replied 
the Colonel, " is a lock of your hair." 

*'You shall have it, gentlemen," replied the Gen- 
eral ; "■ but as I have made a vow that man shall never 
cut my hair more, I surrender myself, my dear madam, 
into your hands." 

As he said this, he took the scissors from Mr. 
Weed and gracefully tendered them to Mrs. Rush. 

He then raised his wig; and Mrs. Rush, cutting 
off three locks of the snowy white hair, kept one her- 
self, and handed the other two to Mr. Stone and 
Mr. Weed. The scene made a lasting impression 
on all who witnessed it.* 

After Lafayette had left, the conversation of 
those who rerriained naturally turned upon him. 
There was a gentleman present who gave the com- 
pany an account of some incidents connected with 
the General's coming to the United States, and espe- 
cially about his landing at New York, not generally 
known. 

From what the gentleman said, it appeared that 
Lafayette had no idea, nor even a suspicion, of the 
cordial welcome that awaited him on this side of the 
Atlantic. He had left France, after nearly half a 
century's absence from this country, without any in- 
timation that he was to have any public reception in 
America. The gentleman, who gave the relation to 

* The lock of hair thus given to my father I still have, and I treasure it as a most 
precious heirloom. 



230 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



tlie company, chanced to be a fellow-passenger on the 
voyage, which was made in a Havre packet-ship. 
While crossing the Atlantic, this gentleman had many 
opportunities of conversing with the French Mar- 
quis and his son Washington, who accompanied him. 
All on board knew that our old ally, though a noble- 
man, was not rich ; and in his conversations with his 
fellow-passengers he showed himself very solicitous 
as to his pecuniary means, making many enquiries 
about the prices of living and travelling in America, 
and seemed very anxious, on this account, as if fear- 
ing that his purse might not be sufficient for a 
very extended tour of travel through the United 
States. Indeed, the Americans who were aboard the 
packet, having been long absent from their country, 
had themselves no idea of the grand honors in store 
for their distinguished fellow-passenger. The gentle- 
man who gave the narration, a rich Boston merchant, 
admitted that he himself had no conception of what 
was to happen and did occur on this side. Feeling an 
interest in Lafayette, he had invited him and his son, 
in the event of their visiting Boston, to make his 
house their home. 

In due time the French packet came in sight of the 
American coast, and lay-to off Sandy Hook, waiting 
for a favorable wind to enter the bay of New York. 
Near the Narrows, she was boarded by a rowboat, in 
which were two gentlemen, in plain civilian dress ; 
who, after holding a private conference with the cap- 



RECEPTION OF LAFA YETTE. 



231 



tain, again re-entered their boat, and put off. No one 
aboard the packet, except the captain himself, knew 
what the conference was about. 

After passing through the Narrows, and coming 
alongside Staten Island, the French ship came to 
anchor. This was a surprise to the passengers, who 
supposed they were going on up to the city. It was 
also some chagrin to them, to be thus delayed after 
their long sea-voyage, and many were heard to mur- 
mur at it. While in this mood they observed a long line 
of vessels coming down the bay. There were steam- 
boats and sailing craft of all kinds, forming a con- 
siderable fleet. They were following one another, 
with manned yards and flags flying, and bands of 
music, as if upon some gala procession. The passen- 
gers on board the French packet were surprised — 
Lafaj^ette not the least so. 

" What does it mean ? " asked the Marquis. 

No one could make answer. 

** Some grand anniversary of your Republic, Mes- 
sieurs,^^ was the conjecture of Lafayette. 

Gradually the gaily-bedecked vessels approached ; 
and it was seen that they were all making for the 
French ship, around which they soon clustered. Then 
one of the steamboats came close alongside, and a 
number of gentlemen, dressed in official costume, 
stepped aboard of her. Among them was the Gover- 
nor of the State of New York, the Mayor of the City, 
and a staff of lesser dignitaries. Not until they had 



232 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



been some time on the deck of the packet, and the 
captain introduced them to the General Marquis de 
Lafayette, did the modest old soldier know that all 
this grand ceremonial had been gotten up for himself. 
The tears fell fast from his eyes as he received their 
congratulations ; and, on shaking hands with his fel- 
low-passenger, the Boston merchant, at parting from 
him, he said : " Monsieur, I shall love New York so 
well I may never be able to get away fro'm it to pay 
you a visit in Boston. Par dieu I dis grand r6pub- 
lique — von great people ! " * 

* In connection with Lafayette's arrival in America, it seems peculiarly appropri- 
ate to give the circumstances of his departure, which we take from the Boston 
American Traveller, September 13, 1825. I am indebted for a copy of this old paper 
to Mr. Walter S. Weed, of Auburn, N. Y. : 

" Departure cf the Nation's Guest. — The brave and worthy General, our distin- 
guished and beloved guest, the good Lafayette, left Washington on Wednesday last 
[September 7], to embark on board the frigate Brandywitie for his native country. 
The last, the parting scene at the President's House, was truly touching, and will 
doubtless long be remembered by the feeling and sympathetic hearts present. 

"The corporations of Washington, Georgetown, and Alexandria, v/ith the members 
of their several Common Councils, and the Mayor of each city, met at the President's 
house a little before noon. After a short time the General, the President, the officers 
of state, and others, joined the company. The President, in the address, spoke in his 
happiest manner. Every tone, every look, every word, seemed to be the spontaneous 
expression of an excited and powerful mind, and to come direct from the heart. 
The General listened with silent emotion, and when it was concluded, threw his arms 
round Mr. Adams and kissed him. Pausing for a few moments, while all was 
silence, he retired a few paces, and delivered his reply. The beloved sounds, 
marked as they were by the strong French accent, fell with electric power upon 
the e.irs of all who heard it. Each man whispered to himself, ' It is the 
last time I shall hear his voice.' As the General concluded his reply, he renewed the 
embrace, which was cordially returned, his face the while streaming with tears. 
Turning to Mr. Adams, he cried with emphasis, ' God bless you ! ' ' God bless you ! ' 
said Mr. Adams, and again they fell into each other's arms. He embraced and kissed 
him a third time, and then recovering himself, turned to receive the outstretched 



RECEPTION TO COOPER. 233 

Cooper. 

In August, [828, Judge Cowen gave a farewell re- 
ception to James Fenimore Cooper, who was to sail 
in a few days for Europe, intending to be gone some 
years. From the " Diary" of a gentleman who was 
present on this occasion, I quote the following just 
reflections brought out by seeing Cooper at this time : 

*' To Mr. Cooper the loss of his property has pro 
bably been of more real advantage than the money 
ten times over would have been. It has called forth 
the slumbering energies of his mind, and given vigor 
and richness to his imagination, by the exertion of 
which he has acquired a proud name among the dis- 
tinguished writers of the age, and added to the lite- 
rary reputation of his country. And yet one cannot 
read his writings without feeling regret, almost pity, 
for a man who seems to possess so little sympathy 
with and respect for his countrymen. His world — to 
judge from the carping tone apparent through his 
works — must be a desolate country indeed. He 
seems to hate everything American, and to be desti- 
tute of Cowper's patriotism when he exclaimed : 
* England ! with all thy faults, I love thee still. Thou 
art my country' 

'' Mr. Cooper does not seem to consider that every 
country may possess excellences peculiar to itself and 

hands which met him in all directions. The greetings were long and repeated, and 
continued till every individual man had shared in his last pledge of kindness. What a 
scene this for a Michael Angelo or a West ! " 



234 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



its institutions, and that things dissimilar may yet 
have value and beauty. But why should the Ameri- 
can nation be brought into comparison with older 
and richer ones? While it cannot be supposed to 
have the maturity which age alone gives, still there 
is much in it to admire and love. I fear its errors 
and incongruities will not be mended by being pre- 
sented in so bitter and caustic a spirit. 

*' Indeed, I almost regret having visited Judge 
Cowen's party, since I have returned from it with 
my estimates of one of my favorite heroes consider- 
ably lessened. Can it indeed be true that many 
characters in our own history, whom we have con- 
sidered almost godlike, are after all but frail mortals 
like ourselves? Yet so it appears; and, one by one, 
those whom we have been accustomed to venerate 
are knocked from the pedestal on which our fancy 
had elevated them." 

Putnam, 

'' This time it is General Putnam and Robert Ful- 
ton who have fallen. 

" The manner in which the subject came up was as 
follows : Some one present alluded to the picture of 
Putnam and the wolf, which formerly swung as a 
sign in front of the Union Hall. A young man from 
Connecticut thereupon remarked that the adventure 
had been greatly exaggerated, as the ' den,' which he 
had visited, was not more than three feet in depth. 



PUTNAM'S ADVENTURES. 



235 



"*And I guess,' here spoke up General Morgan 
Lewis, an aged Revolutionary soldier, but whose 
mind is as clear as a bell, ' that Putnam's military 
reputation is equally exaggerated. But, I beg par- 
don,' he added, addressing his apology to the pro- 
prietor of the Union Hall, whose name is also Put- 
nam. 

'' ' Not on my account,' rejoined Mr. Putnam ; 'our 
family are not nearly as deep in relationship with " Old 
Put" as is his wolf's den, which, according to this 
gentleman's story, is not of extraordinary depth.' 

'' * As I was saying,' resumed General Lewis, * not 
to speak of the suspicions of treason which, in the 
minds of his brother officers, rest upon Putnam on 
account of his conduct at Bunker Hill, Long Island, 
and Peekskill, he seems to have been distinguished 
chiefly for retreating. Indeed, if you but reflect a 
moment, you will see that all of '* Old Put's " ex- 
ploits, which have rendered him so famous, are of 
this character. His flight down the steep rocks near 
Norwalk, his escape over the rapids of Fort Miller in 
a crazy canoe, and his retreat from the Indians at 
Lake George, are the principal feats on which his 
reputation rests. Yet he is in a fair way to descend 
to posterity as one of the bravest of American gene- 
rals ! ' 

"At this point the Rev. Mr. Potter,* a young 

* Since Rt. Rev. Bishop Potter, of Pennsylvania, 



236 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Episcopal divine, who is married to a daughter of 
the late Robert R. Livingston, and is consequently a 
nephew by marriage of General Lewis, joined in the 
conversation. 

Ftilton. 

*' ' I am not surprised, General, at your remarks,' 
said he ; * my own observation leading me to believe 
that many descend into history as successful claim- 
ants for public honors, who, if the facts were known, 
would stand in a very different light. Probably no 
person has received so much praise and deserved it 
so little as Robert Fulton. A man of no practical in- 
genuity, of no power of conceiving, much less of exe- 
cuting an original mechanical idea, his friend Golden 
has succeeded in persuading the public that to him 
alone is due the successful navigation of our rivers by 
steam. The facts, however, as I gathered them from 
my father-in-law, and which I believe to be substan- 
tially correct, are as follows : For thirteen years be- 
fore the first steamboat was placed upon the Collect 
in New York, John Fitch had run a little steamer on 
the Delaware with great success. During that period 
he had experimented with various kinds of propelling 
power — the screw, the side-wheel, and sweeps or 
long-oars. The most primitive thing about his ves- 
sel was the boiler, which consisted simply of two 
potash kettles, riveted together. Mr. Livingston, 
who was greatly interested in the success of Fitch's 



ROBERT FULTON. 



237 



experiments, seized the opportunity, when Minister 
to France, to visit the workshops of Watt & Bolton, 
in England ; where, for the first time, he saw a pro- 
perly constructed steam-boiler. But how was he to 
I introduce it into the United States, unless (which 
was then impossible) he went there himself? At this 
crisis he thought of Robert Fulton, who, originally 
an artist in Philadelphia, was then exhibiting a pano- 
rama in Paris. His panorama, however, failing to 
pay, was attached, and he himself arrested for debt 
and thrown into prison. Livingston, falling into the 
error so common to many, of believing that because 
an artist can draw cleverly, he must necessarily suc- 
ceed equally well in mechanical conception and exe- 
cution, paid off Fulton's debts, and sent him over to 
New York with one of Watt's boilers. Fulton, how- 
ever, failed to rise to the occasion ; and when Liv- 
ingston returned, a year after, he found his pet pro- 
ject precisely where he had left it several years 
before. He therefore at once took hold of it himself, 
and by his energy and perseverance finally brought 
his idea to a successful issue — Fulton, whom he could 
not entirely shake off, acting as a kind of general 
superintendent.' " * 



* These statements, moreover, are confirmed, not only by the late President Wil- 
liam A. L'uer, in his Neiu Yorker (Letter 7th), but by Mr. Ransom Cook, now (1875) 
living at Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Mr. Cook informs me that, in the summer of 1837) 
he was engaged upon his electro-magnetic machinery. Among his workmen were two 
who had been employed by Livingston and Fulton, while those gentlemen were per- 
fecting their steamboat. They surprised him greatly by stating that Fulton was a 



238 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



Elisha Williams. 

In 1830, Elisha Williams spent the summer at Sara- 
toga, occupying rooms at Congress Hall. Mr. Wil- 
liams was, perhaps, one of the most remarkable men 
of the last generation ; nor was his reputation unmer- 
ited, which, during his lifetime, placed him at the 
head of American orators. But alas ! he afforded one 
of the many examples of talent which could only 
benefit his contemporaries. I have often heard my 
father say, that, when he was publishing the Hudson 
Whig, and Mr. Williams had requested him to write 
an article for the paper, he would answer : 

" You write it, and I will gladly publish it." 

" No," Mr. Williams would reply. '' I cannot write 
an article ; it is out of the question ; but I can talk 
one off fast enough." 

Indeed, there was something in his tone and articu- 
lation that is often observed in public speakers, and 
which finds its way to the heart, sending an electric 
thrill through the system. Dr. Nott had it. So, too, 
Dr. Stoughton of Philadelphia. Robert Newton and J. 
J. Gurney possessed it ; as also Somerfield, Whitefield, 
Christmas, and Kirk. Is it because they held the key 
that opens the secret chambers of the soul, and makes 

capital draughtsman, and that was all. They added that he was so deficient in a 
knowledge of the laws of mechanics as to furnish daily mirth for the workmen ; and 
that it was a long time before Livingston could convince him that the " starting-bar " 
of an engine should be made larger at the fulcrum end than at the handle ! 



ELISHA WILLIAMS. 230 



US ever hallow the voice that called forth those sacred 
feelings, and has the power to unseal their foun- 
tains ? 

'' If every word," says the diary of a gentleman 
who was with Mr. Williams at this time, "■ were cor- 
rectly reported, it would be utterly impossible to con- 
vey the manner of his delivery, which forms the chief 
fascinations of his oratory. The play of his intelli- 
gent features, so plastic as to assume every variety 
of expression, which could illustrate or give force to 
the thought uttered — so grand and imposing in re- 
buke — so withering in satire, when speaking of the 
oppressor or the unjust, yet so full of tender sweet- 
ness when pleading the cause of the oppressed, and 
drawing forth pity and compassion toward the inno- 
cent and suffering victim ; so radiant with brightness, 
as the scintillations of wit fly forth to dazzle the 
auditors ; so overwhelming in pathos as to sway the 
variety of minds before him as by one mighty im- 
pulse, and give him entire control over every will, 
and take every heart captive — these are points which 
the reporter cannot give. In short," adds the writer 
of this elegant eulogy, *' unless these qualities could 
be transferred, together with the ease, simplicity, and 
gracefulness of Mr. Williams' elocution — which might 
be compared to the graceful motions of infancy — his 
entire abandon to the cause of his client, producing a 
corresponding emotion on his hearers ; unless all this 
could be portrayed, it would be impossible for a re- 



240 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



porter to afford his readers that elysium of feeling 
to which this orator introduces his dehghted audi- 
tory." 

In appearance, Mr. Williams was a most perfect 
specimen of manly beauty. His form was erect, his 
shoulders square as those of an Indian ; while he was 
over six feet in height, and symmetrically formed, 
even to the hands and feet. The ladies of Alexander 
Hamilton's day would have said, perhaps, that he 
was rather deficient in calf, and therefore would not 
appear to good advantage in small-clothes. His 
head was imposing, and so set on his shoulders as 
to confer a striking dignity to his bearing. He re- 
minded one of the Olympian Jove. His eyes were 
dark and sparkling, his forehead high, straight, and 
smooth, a nose finely chiselled, a florid complexion, 
and one of the sweetest mouths in the world, from 
which flowed smoothly all it uttered. So that, with 
the harmonious cadences of his voice, it was truly 
said of him that his listeners '' hung upon his lips." 
The play of his features in conversation was singu- 
larly beautiful, and at short intervals his face was 
lighted up by sallies of good-natured wit, which spon- 
taneously emanated from a mind of singular spright- 
liness. Added to which, his manners were courte- 
ous, bland, and gracious, and reminded one of 
those of some noble lord, or even of royalty 
itself. '* I never," says the diary before quoted. 
*' saw manners so impressive and suggestive of 



JOHN VAN BUREN, 24! 



having their development in the genial atmosphere 
of kindness." * 



John Van Buren. 

In the summer of 1833, two visitors, in a drunken 
frolic, broke some windows in the north wing of old 
^* Congress Hall," and pitched a waiter over the balus- 
trade. Fortunately, the waiter saved his life by 
catching hold of and clinging to the banisters, other- 
wise the crime of murder might have 'been added to 
that of debauch. For this they were brought before 
Justice Ransom Cook on a warrant for assault and 
battery. Their defence was conducted by John Van 
Buren, at that time a young man of twenty-two years 
of age. He managed the case with much ingenuity, 
and contrived to clear his clients, who, after the suit, 
settled with the waiter — thereby tacitly confessing 
their guilt. Mr. Justice Cook, however, while feeling 
compelled by the evidence to discharge the culprits, 
nevertheless administered to them a severe and 
doubtless well-merited reproof. This occurrence was 
while the elder Van Buren was Vice-President, during 
Jackson's second term, and also before '' Prince 
John," as he was called, had made his famous tour in 
Europe. 



* Mr. Williams' wife was a sister of the distinguished Thomas P. Grosvenor, the 
eloquent speaker, who at one time produced such a sensation in Congress. 



2^2 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



Mrs. De Witt Clinton and Van Buren. 

For several years before Gov. Clinton died, Mr. 
Van Buren was the leader in this State of the party 
opposed to him. A few months previous to Clinton's 
decease, both of these rival chieftains had come out 
for Jackson as the Presidential successor of Adams, 
and consequently their long-standing hostility had 
mellowed into something akin to frigid cordiality. 
When the news of Gov. Clinton's sudden death 
reached Washington, the New York delegation in 
Congress held a memorial meeting. The leading 
speech was made by Mr. Van Buren, then a Senator. 
It was a chaste eulogium of Clinton, and the closing 
paragraphs were eloquent and touching. 

Eleven years later, when Mr. Van Buren was Presi- 
dent, and his Administration was severely pressed 
by the Whigs, he made a tour through this State, dur- 
ing which he visited Saratoga Springs. It was at the 
very height of the season, and the town was filled with 
politicians, and ablaze with beauty and fashion, from 
every part of the Union. Mrs. Clinton, a woman of 
commanding presence, was the most distinguished 
lady at the Springs. On the afternoon of his arrival, as 
Mr. Van Buren was moving through the throng which 
crowded the drawing-room of the United States 
hotel, he happened to meet Mrs. Clinton. The 
urbane President lifted his hat, bowed pohtely, and 
advanced to greet her. She turned sharp on her heel, 



VAN BUREN REBUFFED. 



243 



and, with a frown clouding her countenance, gave 
him the cut direct. Mr. Van Buren took the rebuff 
with characteristic equanimity. This circumstance 
made a great noise at the time, affording sensations 
for newspapers and subjects for caricaturists. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

The Schools of Saratoga. 

" I consider a human soul without education like marble in the quarry, which shows 
none of its inherent beauties until the skill of the poHsher fetches out the colors.'' — 
Spectator. 

" Education is to the mind what cultivation is to the soil. If fruit and flowers are 
not produced, weeds and nettles will spring up. Bishop Taylor once said to a lady, 
'Madam, '\i you don't fill your child's head with something, the devil \i\^J " 

T~\IOGENES once ridiculed the laziness and in- 
-*-^ attention of the Megarensians, who instructed 
their children in nothing, but paid chief care to their 
flocks, for he said that he " would rather be the ram 
of any Megarensian than his son." The people of 
Saratoga certainly never erred in this respect to the 
extent thus mentioned by the old cynic. Still, it 
must be admitted that the pioneers in the settlement 
of this village seem to have lacked appreciation for 
learning and sound culture ; hence the early schools 
were of small account. 

The most prominent, if not the only teacher of 
those days, was '' Lawyer Blake," as he was called. 
He was a man of liberal education ; and was the 
first to establish himself as a lawyer in the village. 
His success in his profession appears not to have 
been great, and he afterwards opened a school in 
the Upper Village. He died many years since at 

244 



THE WAYLAND SEMINARY. 245 



the Osborn House. Mr. Smith, commonly known 
as '' Deacon Smith," was a graduate of an Eastern 
College, and taught, off and on, for a number of years. 
He was a man of great peculiarities and of great 
excellences. Then came Mr. Marshall, a Quaker — 
the author of Marshall's Spelling Book, a work 
much used in its day. After that, from year to year, 
school was taught in the *' Old School-house " in 
Church Street, just north of the old Presbyterian 
Meeting-house — since known as the Commercial 
Hotel. This school-house was burned down long 
since, but there are many yet who have not forgotten 
it. Students from Union and other colleges would 
here try their skill as pedagogues till a wider field 
was opened to them. Neither would we fail to men- 
tion Miss Dolly Abel, who taught their ** A, B, C's" 
to generation after generation. She was emphatically 
the *' Village School-Mistress " — a woman of substan- 
tial excellence. Miss Pearce, tocf^ was a veteran 
teacher, who began and finished her course in her 
own house in Federal Street. Time would fail us 
to name the multitude of worthy persons who have 
begun and remained a longer or shorter time in this 
vocation— Rev. Mr. Duncan, Miss Day, Mrs. Streeter, 
Miss Ashman, and, latterly, Miss Carrie Carpenter and 
Mrs. Frederick Root, both of whom have conducted 
a popular school successfully for many years. 

The first boarding and day school for young ladies 
was opened by the Misses Wayland, on the south 



246 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



corner of Broadwr*y and Washington Streets. The 
school-house on Washington Street, having undergone 
various transformations, has at last (1875) been re- 
moved to Putnam Street, in the rear of Congress 
Hall. It was a very simple and unpretending struc- 
ture, but it was the scene of many pleasant memories, 
and was, and is, dear to many hearts on account 
of cherished associations there formed. There are 
matrons now presiding over households in all parts 
of the Union who look back with glad happiness 
to their school-days passed there. Nor was the 
Wayland Seminary without advantage to the town 
itself. During its continuance it was the custom for 
weekly " conversations " to be held in the parlors of 
the school, to which the young gentlemen of the 
village were admitted. On these occasions, the 
characters of a play of Shakspere, for example, 
would be taken by different individuals, and after 
it had been read, criticism, analysis, and discussion 
would follow. To the pupils, but especially to the 
young men, these reunions were of the highest 
benefit. Nothing is better adapted to give the last 
polish to the education of a young man than con- 
versation with virtuous and accomplished women. 
Their society serves to smooth the rough edges of his 
character and to mellow his temper. In short, the 
man who has never been acquainted with females of 
the better class is not only deprived of many of the 
purest pleasures, but will have very little success 



PAOLI DURKEE'S SCHOOL. 



247 



in social life. Nor should I like to be connected in 
the bonds of friendship with the man who has a bad 
opinion and speaks ill of the female sex. Thus 
it happened that the Wayland Seminary left an im- 
press on the society of that day which has never been 
effaced. 

Miss Williams afterward opened a school for young 
ladies in the north part of the village, and she was fol- 
lowed by Miss Martha Thompson. Mr. Carter, in 1854, 
opened a school for young ladies, which was the be- 
ginning of the Temple Grove Seminary — long time in 
charge of Rev. Luther F. Beecher and now (1875) P^^- 
sided over by Rev. C. F. Dowd. 

The first prominent school for boys was opened, in 
1836, by Mr. Elijah K. Bangs in the old Methodist 
Meeting-House — now the '' Broadway House " — which 
he purchased and transformed into a building suitable 
for his purpose. He resided in the village until 1838, 
when he removed to Hempstead, L. I., but returned 
in 1839, ^"^ continued to teach in Saratoga until the 
spring of 1845.* 

In the spring of 1 849 Mr. Paoli Durkee opened a 
classical school for boys, and continued to teach until 
the summer of 1858. On first coming to the village 



* Mr. Bangs' first wife was a sister of Mrs William L. Griswold, and a daughter of 
James G. Watts, for seven years editor and proprietor of the United States Gazette 
of Philadelphia. She died at Saratoga Springs, June it, 1843, at the eariy age of 
twenty-three. One of her brothers, James C. Watts, edited the Saratoga Whig'x^ 
1839. He also died at an early age. Mr. Bangs is still living in New York City, the 
senior member of the firm of Bangs, Merwin & Co. 



248 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



he taught in Washington Hall, since occupied by Mrs. 
Charles Mason and others, but at that time owned by 
the late Joel Root.* Afterward he purchased the lot 
adjoining the Hall on the north, and erected on it a 
dwelHng and school-house, into the latter of which he 
removed his school in 185 1. This school has turned 
out many persons eminent in their several walks of 
life, having worthy representatives in the mechanical, 
mercantile, legal, medical, and military professions. 
Among the latter may be mentioned the late Lieu- 
tenant Gouverneur Morris, whose early death, after he 
had made a brilliant record in the late civil war, ex- 
cited poignant sorrow throughout a wide circle of 
friends.f One great cause, undoubtedly, of the high 

* Joel Root died in New Haven, Conn., April 7, aged eighty-four years. He early 
settled in Galway, but, about thirty years since, purchased Washington Hall, and 
kept it for a series of years. He then removed to Hartford, where he resided until his 
decease. Mr. Root retained his vigor of mind and body to the close of a long life, 
studded with many charitable acts. He was strictly temperate in every sense of the 
word, and to this is owing the hardiness of his later years. 

t Gouverneur Morris was never a robust boy, but, when the Rebellion broke 
out, his patriotic spirit could not be restrained, and reluctantly his father. General 
Morris, consented to his entering the volunteer army. Here his health gave way, 
and he all but lost his life by the hardships of the Shenandoah Valley cam- 
paign ; after which he was transferred and commissioned a First Lieutenant in the 
U. S Marine Corps, still continuing very delicate. He accompanied his father's re- 
mains from Fort McHenry to one of the family vaults at Morrisania, N. Y., in the bit- 
ter weather of December ; came back to Baltimore with a heavy cold, which terminated 
in inflammation of the brain, and died in that city on Christmas day, 1865, in his 
twenty-fourth year He lies beside his beloved and honored father at his own request. 
The great-grandmother of Lieutenant Morris was the wife of Lewis Morris, signer of 
the Declaration of Independence, who is known in history as the beautiful Mary 
Walton. Lieut. Morris, or " Govy " as he was called by his playfellows, was a 
favorite with the entire school. He was a boy of the most amiable and winning 
manners, gentle and kind, yet firm as adamant in maintaining the right. I, as one of 
his mates, take a mournful pleasure in paying this feeble tribute to his memory. 



S (ACCESS AS A TEACHER, 



249 



character and success of this school was, that Mr. 
Durkee aimed to render study attractive by cheerful 
surroundings rather than by stern and harsh discip- 
line. Many a delightful summer day has witnessed 
his entire school reclining on the mossy carpet of the 
woods at the back of the school-house diligently con- 
ning their lessons. Thus invigorated by fresh, whole- 
some air, the mind was able frequently to grasp prob- 
lems that, in the vitiated air of the recitation-room, 
would have been given up in despair. Often, more- 
over, this kind preceptor, believing that book-learning 
alone was not all of education, would accompany his 
pupils in many a pleasant ramble, where they would 
find 

"Tongues in trees, books in the running brooks. 
Sermons in stones, and good in everything." 

Rev. Mr. Proudfit succeeded Mr. Durkee ; then Mr, 
Robb, now of Oswego. Within a few years Rev. Mr. 
Crocker has opened a private school, which still (1875) 
continues under his charge. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

The Early Debating Clubs of Saratoga. 

'*.... The grand debate, the popular harangue, the tart reply. The logic, 
and the wisdom, and the wit." 

ALTHOUGH Saratoga Springs has been the nurs- 
ing mother of many men eminent in the legal 
profession, she seems to have been somewhat tardy in 
developing the forensic powers of her youth. It was 
not until 1836 that she awoke to her duty in this regard, 
in which year the first debating club was organized. 
The meetings of this society, which was called the 
" Slawkenbergian Dialectic Club," were held at the 
Columbian Hotel, and at the *' Old Bell School- 
house," on Federal Street. It was composed of a num- 
ber of rising men, among whom were O. L. Barbour, 
President ; John H. Beach, Secretary ; Wm. A. Beach, 
Sidney J. Cowen, Stephen P. Nash, Nicholas Hill, 
Thomas Rogers, Richard L. Allen, Clarence Wal- 
worth, John A. Corey,'^ Charles A. Davison, Perry G. 



* The " Reminiscences of Saratoga" would not be complete without a tribute paid 
to Mr. John A. Corey. The manner of Mr. Corey— who disliked '"shams" and was 
often too outspoken for his own good— did him great injustice. Yet I am free to say 
that Saratoga never had a more loyal son — one who was more devoted to her interests 
—and that Saratoga is more indebted to Mr. Corey than she is aware, for much of 
her present prosperity. Mr. Corey and Mr. G. M. Davison also gave the village two 
of the best eariy newspapers she ever had. 

250 



A DISAPPOINTED ADMIRER. 



251 



Ellsworth, and Patrick H. Cowen. "■ There were," 
writes Hon. O. L. Barbour to the author, ** many fine 
debates in that old club. Some of Rogers', Hill's, 
and S. J. Cowen's highest flights of eloquence were 
there attained. Rogers, I remember, with his strong 
voice, in a slender frame, used to wake the echoes 
and astound the 'groundlings.' He often reminded 
his hearers of their privileges in being residents of a 
county which contained the battle-fields of Saratoga 
and the bones of the patriots there interred. He 
rattled those bones in the ears of his audience so often 
(but not by any means too often), that they finally 
took to joking him about them. One day, a wagon- 
load of bones from some slaughter-house was passing 
through the street. A member of the club called out 
to Rogers : ' Here, Tom, come quick ; here is some of 
your property.* He afterwards emigrated to Du- 
buque, Iowa, and was elected to the State legisla- 
ture, where he distinguished himself by many an able 
and eloquent speech. A person from the country, 
who had read his speeches as reported in the news- 
papers, had formed so high an opinion of Rogers' 
oratorical powers, that on coming to Dubuque he 
sought and obtained an introduction. On learning 
his name he said, ' What ! Are you the great Tom 
Rogers, who makes such splendid speeches in the 
House ? I don't believe a word of it ! Why, I ex- 
pected to see a man at least six feet high, with a voice 
like thunder!' Rogers told me this himself Hill 



252 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



and S. J. Cowen were fine debaters, as were several 
others. Dr. Allen was a very fair speaker and a good 
logician. Nash was as clear as a crystal. Alas ! most 
of the members are gone." The departure of many 
of the members for wider fields of usefulness — Rogers 
going to the West, Hill settling in Albany, and Wal- 
worth called to the priesthood — broke up the club, 
which in its day had proved so useful, and several 
years passed before a similar one was inaugurated. 

During this interregnum, however, efforts had not 
been wanting to draw out the literary talent of the 
place. A Histrionic Company was formed in 1842, 
composed of those youths of the village who were 
ambitious to wear the sock and buskin, among whom 
were A. A. Patterson (the life and soul of it), George 
W. Andrews, Henry Hay, Henry P. Andrews, James 
M. Andrews, Benjamin and Jesse Frazer, and J. R. 
Plunkett. During the existence of this association, 
which lasted two years, vety creditable performances 
were given weekly in the Pavilion Hall.^ Many of 
Shakspere's plays, as well as those of others, such as 
"The Rivals," "The Mistletoe Bough," "The Irish 
Tutor," and " Bombastes Furioso," were performed 
both for the amusement of the villasfe and for deservino- 
objects. t To show that this Histrionic Association, 



* Situated in the Pavilion Spring grounds on Lake Avenue, opposite the " Flat 
Rock," The Flat Rock Spring still exists, covered by the tanneries. 

t As an illustration of this remark, we quote the following from the Saratoga Seri- 
///;r/of 1843— at that time ably edited by iMr. Charies F. Paul: 



A CRITICAL MEMBER. 



253 



also, was not mere child's-play, but was really of great 
merit, it may be stated that Miss Cora Mowatt was 
glad to avail herself of the talent of Mr. A. A. Patter- 
son and others belonging to the association to aid 
her in a dramatic performance given in the village. 

Others of the young men occasionally satisfied their 
literary aspirations by going over once a fortnight 
either to the '' Stafford School-house " on Fish Creek, 
or the one near the '' Eddy Four Corners," and measur- 
ing swords with the young farmers of those neighbor- 
hoods. During one of these winters, John Scofield — 
now settled over a church in New Jersey — was the 
teacher of the district-school. Many were the passa- 
ges-at-arms between the young men of the village and 
the farmers' sons ; and many were the flights of elo- 
quence that rang through the smoky rafters of the 
Stafford School-house. At these meetings, more- 
over, the school-master was sometimes "abroad"; 
for once, when one of the speakers had quoted that 
stanza from Gray beginning, *' Perhaps in this ne- 
glected spot," etc., one of the members, at the close 
of the speech, came up and congratulated him, saying: 
" J , those lines of yours were splendid ! Were tJiey 

" Histrionic Association — Benefit of William C. Owen.— We understand that 
this association have, with commendable liberality, resolved to give the receipts of next 
Thursday evening's performance to our unfortunate townsman, William C. Owen, 
who, it will be recollected, some two months since received an injury by a fall from a 
building, by which he was and still is incapable of pursuing his profession, upon the 
emoluments of which his family depend for support. We trust that this fact need only 
be made known to our citizens to ensure a crowded house. " Pizarro" and " The 
Day after the Wedding" are the plays to be brought out on the occasion." 



254 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



original? " Occasionally, also, Rev. Dr. Woodbrldge 
would kindly come over from the village and act 
as arbitrator — his attention at these times being 
equally divided between listening to the arguments 
and snuffing the tallow candles which, stuck in pota- 
toes for candlesticks, cast weird and ghostly shadows 
upon the whitewashed walls. Sometimes, too, if the 
sleighing was fine. Rev. Dr. Woodbridge or Rev. Mr. 
Stowell would vary the exercises by delivering a lec- 
ture to audiences made up of the farmers and their 
families dwelling in the vicinity. 

At length, about 1850 — encouraged by Judge Wil- 
liam Hay, who at that time had quite a number of 
students in his office — a debating club was success- 
fully organized in the village itself, under the name 
of " The Young Men's Association." 

This Association, composed of two branches — the 
"Senior" and the " Junior" — and numbering among 
its members that prince of humorists the late Henry 
Hay, Frederick Root, John Knickerbacker, Charles 
S. Lester, Paoli Durkee, John Putnam, B. C. Thayer, 
J. A. Shoudy, and others, held its meetings some- 
times in the dining-room of the *' Columbian," and 
again in the basement of the old Methodist church. 
The "Juniors" were John L. Barbour, Cornelius 
Durkee, Lewis P. and George Close, Robert Patter- 
son, John Lamb, James McDonald, Hamilton Peters, 
Walter Putnam, William N. Sturges (now of Chicago), 
Harvey Stafford, and the author, all but three of whom 



■■IW mm iiM ■ — 



AN IGNOBLE DEFEAT, 



255 



have passed away. The *' Junior" Club frequently 
met in the *' Wayland School-house" on Washington 
Street, to debate questions among themselves by way 
of practice, before taking part in the discussions of 
the association proper. 

Some really able debates were held at these meet- 
ings ; and it being just previous to the formation of 
the Republican party, when anti-slavery feeling ran 
high, the discussions were often exceedingly acri- 
monious. Nevertheless, they were frequently inter- 
spersed with humor. A certain member, one William 
Lane, a good speaker and possessed of fair abilities, 
was a fiery abolitionist, and for ever on his feet. The 
poet and wit of the association, par excellence^ was 
John R. McGregor, who, continually ''tilting'' with 
Lane, would frequently take the ''wind out of his 
opponent's sails," and that, too, in a very summary 
manner. Once I remember, in particular, when Mr. 
Lane had been indulging in one of his most gran- 
diloquent flights, and it came McGregor's turn to 
reply, the latter simply rose, and, in the demurest 
possible manner, improvised the following : 

"I'd rather meet a railroad train 
Than to encounter Billy Lane ! " 

and sat down. " Only this and nothing more," yet it 
was enough ; for, amid shouts of laughter, ]\Ir. Lane 
retired from the field utterly discomfited — for that 
night at least. 



256 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



On another occasion, the question up for discussion 
was, "• Which exercises the most influence on man- 
l^ind — moral or physical force ? " Now, it so chanced 
that the night before the debate Mr. Paoli Durkee 
had captured in Washington Hall two burglars, and by 
the strength of his powerful arms had compelled them 
to cry for quarter. Mr. Durkee was the one on the 
mora/ side of the question, and had got on splendidly 
with his speech till Mr. Lester, who was opposed, 
when it came his turn to reply, quietly asked him how 
amenable to moral suasion those burglars would have 
been without his (Mr. Durkee's) strong arms ! It is, 
perhaps, needless to add that Mr. Lester won the 
debate. Sometimes the late Franklin Hoag, or, as he 
was familiarly called, " Squire " Hoag, would take 
part in the debates, and by his infinite fund of humor 
contribute not a little to the evening's entertainment.* 

* Franklin Hoag was born in the year 1800, near Dimmick's Corners, in the town of 
Wilton. His father was a prominent iSIethodist clerg^'man. Early in life he turned 
his attention to the law, and his fame as a successful pleader injustices' courts soon 
became so great that through the northern towns Frank Hoag was always upon one 
side or the other, and frequently the successful one. About 1S35, he removed to Sara- 
toga Springs, and pursued a regular course of studies in the office of William A. 
Beach, now of New York City, and was admitted to the bar. As an advocate his 
practice was mostly confined to the ( ommon Pleas and Justices' Courts, and, after the 
Constitution of 1846 was adopted, in the County court. He was peculiarly at home in 
cases arising from breach of warranty in horse trades, and he was acknowledged by 
his brethren of the bar to be the best read in that branch of the profession of any law- 
yer in the county. For many years he held the office of Justice of the Peace in Sara- 
toga, and in 1855 he was elected Supervisor. In 1870, he removed to Oil City, Pa., 
where he died, on the 3d of May, 1875, leaving five children, viz., Mrs. George C. 
Alger, Samuel F. and Hiram W. Hoag, of Oil City ; Franklin S. Hoag, of Me.-\dvillt,', 
Pa., and Mrs. George Weller, of Schenectady. 



A TEN-DOLLAR LECTURE. 257 



This Association was also, I believe, the first to 
introduce the custom of having a regular course of 
lectures through the winter months. 

Very often, however, the funds of the Association 
would come so short that, with an empty exchequer, 
it was puzzled to know how to manage. On one 
occasion when, as a great coup, Mr. Greeley was in- 
vited to lecture, and had accepted, it was found that, 
after paying for the lighting of the church, we would 
be able to give that lecturer the magnificent sum of 
$10. The morning after the lecture, which was de- 
livered in the old Presbyterian Church, I, as the 
youngest of the lecture committee, was made the 
I scapegoat, and deputed to hand Mr. Greeley the 
$10, John Putnam, J. D. Briggs, and Henry Hay 
standing behind a corner of the depot, laughing in 
their sleeves. I therefore accompanied him into 
the train, and, taking a seat in the cars, awaited the 
time of departure. When it was fairly under motion, 
I thrust the $10 (carefuUy enclosed in an envelope) 
into the lecturer's hand, and jumped from the train, 
leaving the recipient to examine by himself the con- 
tents. The following year, Horace Greeley was again 
invited to lecture before the Y. M. A. of Saratoga 
Springs ; but a '' singed cat dreads the fire," and the 
following answer was returned : 

*' New York, Dec. 19, 1852. 
"My Dear Stone: Manv thanks for your note 



258 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



of the 17th. I rather guess I won't come to Saratoga 
to lecture. Reason : It is some distance to travel, 
and I can't afford to go for nothing, and (if I remem- 
ber rightly) your society don't pay. Now, I was will- 
ing to go once, just for the sake of exhibiting myself 
and meeting my friends, but I don't want to make a 
practice of the like. I should want $25 for going to 
S. and lecturing, and I can't in conscience assure 
your society that the lecture would be worth the 

money. So let it stand over for this season. 

******* 

** Yours, 

Horace Greeley. 
" W. L. Stone, Esq., S. Springs." 

$25 for a lecture from Horace Greeley! Truly, 
tempora mutantur ; for exactly ten years afterward, I 
paid Henry Ward Beecher $100 for a lecture on be- 
half of the same association, leaving a surplus in the 
treasury of $300. 

Such, in brief, is the history of the humble begin- 
ning and many trials of the present " Young Men's 
Christian Association " of Saratoga Springs. 



isaaaag 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Early History of the Baptist and Presbyterian Churches — 
Rev. JD. O. Grisivold and Rev. S. W. Whelpley. 

*' Virtue may be assail'd but never hurt, 
Surpris'd by unjust force, but not enthrall'd ; 
Yea, even that which mischief meant most harm^ 
Shall, in the happy trial, prove most glory ^ 
And evil on itself shall back record ! " 

THE Baptist Church of Saratoga Springs was 
organized in October, 1793. It was tlien com- 
posed of only twenty members — ten males and ten 
females — and united, at its next session, with the 
Shaftsbury Association. At this period of its exist- 
ence it was located four miles south of the present 
village, on the direct road to Waterford. In 1796 
they built a log meeting-house, near the original place 
of their first organization, which stood on that which 
is now *' Shipman's Hill." Shortly after the erection 
of this structure, they called to the pastorate the 
Rev. E. P. Langworthy, who remained with them 
eighteen years.* In 1804, this church, with thirteen 

*Rev. Elias P. Langworthy was afterwards settled over the church in Ballston 
Spa, where he resided during the war of 1812. He was an ardent patriot, and 
raised a subscription to buy a cannon to celebrate Hull's naval victory. He went 
to Albany and purchased the gun and drew it home with his well-remembered 
horse, " Mike." Whenever a victory was announced, the " Elder," as he was 
familiarly called, and the late Sanbun Ford, would make the "welkin ring" with 

359 



260 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Others, met on the second Wednesday of August, 
with the first church in Milton, and organized the 
" Saratoga Baptist Association." In 1809, they built 
their second house of worship in what was then (and 
still is) called the " Ellis neighjporhood," two miles 
south of the village. This house was afterward sold 
to Elias Benedict, the owner of the United States 
Hotel, who moved it to his premises, and in later 
years turned it into a club-house and billiard-room. 
Some beautiful trees, standing about eighty rods east 
of Carrigan's Mills, on the south road which leads to 
the residence of the late Isaac Patrick, mark the 
place which this building once occupied. In 18 19, the 
late Francis Wayland, of Troy, N. Y., was called to 
the pastorate ; and shortly after the latter's settle- 
ment, the late Rev. Francis Wayland, Jr. (President 
of Brown University) was licensed by the church 
to preach the Gospel. 

The society continued to meet at the building in 
the " Ellis Neighborhood" until 1821, in which year, 
through the exertions of Rev. Francis Wayland, they 
erected a third house of worship on a lot pre- 
sented to the society by the heirs of Gideon Put- 
nam, in accordance with the will of that person. 



the reports of their gun. The old gun is yet preserved at Ballston, and is used 
on the Fourth of July aud other festive occasions. He was the father of Hon, 
Lyman B. Langworthy, once sheriiT of the county, but for many years a resident 
of Rochester. Elder Lang^vorthy died at Ballston, and is buried in the village 
cemetery a few rods east of the monument to Hon. James M. Cook. 



BAPTIST CHURCH PASTORS. 26 1 



The present Baptist church edifice in Washington 
Street, completed in 1856, stands on the same spot. 
Rev. Mr. Wayland served as pastor for four years, 
when he was succeeded by the Rev. John Lamb, who 
remained settled over the society for two years. 
From 1825 to 1828 the society had no regular 
minister. In the latter year Joshua Fletcher — 
at that time a student in the Hamilton Literary 
and Theological Institution (now Madison Uni- 
versity) — was engaged as a supply, and shortly 
afterward established as permanent pastor. He 
continued with them for nineteen years; and, it 
is speaking within bounds, to say that a more 
worthy, faithful, and conscientious man than he has 
never been settled over this church. He, in fact, 
devoted the best years of his life to the society ; 
he was with them in ** good and evil report," worked 
for them in the cause of Christ at a small salary, 
and only left when he found that he must go into 
some other more remunerative employment. In- 
deed, the Baptist church of Saratoga Springs never 
can be sufficiently grateful to FRANCIS Wayland 
and Joshua Fletcher for their self-sacrificing la- 
bors in its behalf. 

In 1847, Re^'- Joshua Fletcher was succeeded by 
Rev. Mr. Kingsbury, who, in turn, was followed by 
the Revs. Stowell, Sawyer, Beecher, Woodruff, 
Cheetham, and the Rev. Mr. Woods, the present 
(1875) courteous and able incumbent. 



262 REMimSCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



The Presbyterian Church. 

The early history of the Presbyterian Church 
of Saratoga Springs is so identified with its organ- 
izer and first pastor, Rev. Mr. Griswold, that a sketch 
of one is really the history of the other. 

Darius Oliver Griswold was born in 1787, in 
Goshen, Conn. At the age of seventeen he entered 
Yale, and began his course of study preparatory 
to the ministry. After remaining two years at 
Yale, he went to Williams College, whence he 
graduated in 1808, at the age of twenty-one, taking 
the valedictory. This was remarkable when it is 
remembered that part of his education was obtained 
by teaching in a neighboring academy in the day-time 
and a singing-school in the evening — keeping up with 
his class, meanwhile, by severe night study. That 
he was highly regarded as a scholar is evident from 
the fact, that he was afterward invited to deliver 
before one of the literary societies of his Alma Mater 
an oration, which he performed very much to the 
acceptance of his friends. After leaving college he 
taught an academy at Ballston one year; then pur- 
sued a regular course of theological study at Andover 
Seminary for three years. Upon the expiration of 
this course of study, being licensed to preach, he 
began his labors in Bloomfield, Ontario County, 
N. Y., in 1 812, where he spent three years. To this 
field he took with him his bride — having married Miss 



J^EV. D. O. GRISWOLD, 



263 



Abigail Wakeman, of Ballston, N. Y., on Septem- 
ber, 17, 181 1 — who throughout all the trials and la- 
bors of his ministry proved herself, by self-denying 
and devotional conduct, worthy of his choice. He 
then came to Saratoga Springs, and began preaching 
in a dilapidated old school-house near the present 
Baptist church. For one year he preached on alter- 
nate Sabbaths in Saratoga and Glen's Falls, and 
made himself so useful in winning souls to Christ, 
that the Presbyterian society — then a very feeble 
one and scarcely deserving that name — sent him out 
to collect funds for building a house of worship. 

His efforts were so successful that, in 18 17, the 
church, composed of nine members, was organized in 
his study. This study was in the south end of Wash- 
ington Hall, and is room No. 30. In 1822 he was 
dismissed from the pastorate at his own request, and 
settled at Watertown, Conn., where he remained ten 
years. He did not leave Saratoga, however, without 
great remonstrance. The Presbytery showed their ap- 
preciation of his peculiar fitness for the place by re- 
fusing to dismiss him until his third request, made on 
the ground that he absolutely could not live on his 
salary. It was soon found, however, that it was ne- 
cessary to the prosperity of the church that he should 
return. A subscription paper was accordingly started, 
and every dollar thus raised, was on the express con- 
dition that he should come back. With this paper, a 
letter was sent to him, stating that many were so dis- 



264 ' REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



couraged as to propose letting the church — for the 
erection of which he had labored so assiduously — to 
the Episcopal Society. This deternnined him, and in 
1833 he returned to Saratoga, where, after laboring 
zealously and actively for six years, he was laid aside 
by the paralysis which, on the 28th of December, 1841, 
terminated his existence. A funeral sermon was de- 
livered on the Sabbath after his death by Rev. A. T. 
Chester, from 2 Tim. iv. 6-8, to the united congre- 
gations of the place. Rev. Mr. Griswold left three 
children, all of whom yet survive, viz.. Burr W., a law- 
yer of New York City; William L., a well-known for- 
mer citizen of Saratoga, but now also of New York ; 
and Helen, the wife of Mr. S. E. Bushnell. His 
widow survived until Februarys, 1856, when she also, 
following her beloved consort, was enabled to unite 
with him in the praise of the Lamb whom on earth 
they had both together so glorified. 

Mr. Griswold had many remarkable traits of char- 
acter. Dr. Chester — his successor, but now residing 
in Buffalo, N. Y. — in his memorial address says: *' As 
a man he commanded the love and respect of all who 
knew him. He was affable and social, had a sensitive 
heart and generous spirit. To the cry of distress he 
ever lent a listening ear, offering cheerful assistance. 
His was a spirit with which it was impossible to asso- 
ciate any thing ungenerous or mean or base, a pure- 
minded Christian, whose character may be truly ex- 
pressed in the term Christian gentleman. 



CHARACTER OF MR. GRISWOLD. 265 



'' As a scholar, his standing and attainments were 
elevated. His success as a teacher and as a writer 
proves this. His sermons are of a high order, ex- 
hibiting great purity of language with great classi- 
cal elegance of expression, and much energy and 
vivacity. He was held very high as a preacher by 
many of those who hear sermons with the greatest 
interest and intelligence. His simple and yet elegant 
statements of gospel truth, his solemn manner and 
powerful voice, have made impressions upon many 
minds which can never be lost. 

"As a spiritual teacher and guide he was faithful 
and sincere in his efforts to lead sinners to Christ, and 
to keep those who professed attachment to him in 
the performance of their covenant obligations ; a firm 
believer in the plain doctrines of the Bible he ever 
sought to make others acquainted with these truths, 
and to win them to the love and acceptance of the 
truth. ^ He fought the good fight,' for he used the 
weapons which God furnished, and continually car- 
ried on the contest with the enemies of the Cross of 
Christ. * He fifiisJied his course,' for though it seemed 
to be abruptly terminated, yet so had infinite wisdom 
before appointed. His course was not extended like 
that of many others. The goal seemed to be in Mie 
middle of the race-ground ; yet did he reach that. 
* He has kept the faith.' " 

Mr. Griswold's musical talent was also of the high- 
est order. He had a voice aUke remarkable for its 



266 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



power and sweetness, and led the choir from the pul- 
pit for several years. Mrs. Daniel Wayland (daugh- 
ter-in-law of Rev. Francis Wayland and daughter of 
Nathan Lewis, who built the Pavilion hotel) was one 
of the two sopranos on whom he depended. Many 
people yet living have often spoken to me about the 
rapture with which they have listened to the blending 
of their voices. It was his custom to meet his choir 
weekly for the purpose of practising, and to this is to 
be attributed the fact that during his ministry the 
choir of the Presbyterian Church at Saratoga was 
noted for its fine singing — many of the visitors often 
remarking " that they heard no such music at home." 
Another characteristic of Rev. Mr. Griswold was 
his great moral courage. Although naturally of a 
retiring, shrinking disposition, and withal of a 
modesty which continually put self in the back- 
ground, yet, when principle was involved, he was as 
firm as the everlasting hills. An instance of this is 
in point. Mr. Griswold had never thought it best 
for clergymen to meddle with politics ; but at an 
election held a few months before his retirement from 
the ministry, the issues were such that, on the night 
previous to the election, he stated in his family his 
intention of voting. His wife thereupon suggested 
her fears that he would repent it, to which he replied, 
" I shall do it if I have to follow my good brother 
Wayland's example — call for a Bible and sivear in my 
vote ; for I have made up my mind, deliberately 



REV. S. W. WHELPLEY. 267 



and prayerfully, that it is my duty ; and if it has come 
to this, that office-bearers in the church of Christ will 
put into office an openly irreligious man in preference 
to a man who helps to support the preaching of the Gos- 
pel and religious instructions, it is time for ministers 
to take a stand. I would vote if I knew that I should 
be turned out of house and home to-morrow night in 
consequence^ The day following he deposited his 
vote quietly, and the Whigs' and Griswold's candidate 
was elected. 

Rev. Mr. Whelpley, 

Rev. Samuel W. Whelpley, who was the regularly 
installed pastor of the Presbyterian church at Saratoga 
during a part of the interregnum of Rev. Mr. Gris- 
wold, was born in Stockbridge, Mass., in the year 1795. 
When two years of age, his father, Rev. Samuel 
Whelpley, removed to New Jersey to take charge of 
the Academy at Morristown. Here he remained, 
until, after fourteen years of successful teaching, he 
accepted an invitation to take charge of the Newark 
Academy. In 1813, his eldest brother, Philip (sub- 
sequently settled over the Wall Street Church, New 
York), and himself were fitted for college, and were 
on the point of entering, when their father's health 
failing, the support of the family devolved upon them, 
and they were obliged to take charge of the Academy 
and continue in the business of teaching until they 
entered the ministry. In 1815, he moved to New York 



268 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



and took charge of a classical school; at the same 
time entering upon the study of divinity, under the 
charge of Dr. Gardiner Spring and his father. 

In 1817, he was licensed to preach the Gospel by 
the New York Presbytery, Dr. John B. Romeyn, Mod- 
erator. The same year he was ordained and installed 
pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Plattsburgh, 
N. Y. Here his efforts were very greatly blessed, 
especially in the year 1824, when, during a great revi- 
val, upwards of one hundred joined his church. 

In 1825, he was invited to take charge of the 
Church at Saratoga Springs — then left without a 
pastor by the resignation of Rev. Mr. Griswold ; and 
on the nth of August of that year he was duly in- 
stalled as its pastor. To this step he was led chiefly 
by the persuasions of Chancellor Walworth and his 
wife, who had formerly both been members of his 
church at Plattsburg, and also by the hope that his 
labors might be lightened, for Plattsburgh was at this 
time a missionary station, and the parochial labors 
were immense. While at Saratoga his labors were 
blessed, some were added to the church ; and there 
are yet a few old residents who remember the pastor- 
ate of Mr. Whelpley with feelings of deep gratitude. 
At length Mr. Whelpley felt obliged to ask for his 
dismission from the church where he had labored 
with so much usefulness. Chancellor Walworth and 
the other elders regretted exceedingly to part with 
him, but seeing his determination, bade him an affec- 



RESIGNATION OF MR. WHELPLEY. 260 



tionate farewell. The causes which led to this step 
on the part of Mr. Whelpley are partly shadowed 
forth in the following extract from his private manu- 
script diary. He writes : '' I labored hard in Saratoga 
Springs for nearly three years, but with very little 
success. The town was even at this date the resort 
of men of pleasure, and its attractions drew together 
a motley crowd from all parts of the world. Every 
other store, almost, was a dram-shop, and intempe- 
rance was universal." Accordingly, by the advice of 
Rev. Dr. Payson, in 1829, he removed to East Wind- 
sor, Conn. Here his strong position on the tempe- 
rance question (which, by the way, had embroiled him 
not a little at Saratoga) divided the church ; and at 
the end of two years, 1832, he preached acceptably 
for Dr. Kirk, of Albany, who was at this time in poor 
health. From 1832 to 1843, he was constantly preach- 
ing in Palmyra, Rochester, and Waterville, until ill 
health compelled him to discontinue and devote the 
powers of his mind to writing for the press. 

Accordingly, that he might be near his circle of rela- 
tives and friends, he removed to New York City, with 
his wife and infant son, and became one of the editors 
of the North American Protestant Magazine. Here, 
through his literary associates, he opened a path for 
himself, and made his mark on the newspaper and 
periodical literature of the day. In every way a truly 
Christian gentleman, he gave his influence to the fur- 
therance of every moral aim, and interested himself 



2^0 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOQA. 



in intellectual progress. Stories, travels, criticism, 
imaginative sketches, biography — each received the 
treatment best adapted to it. All topics were treated 
with originality of view and in a broad, catholic spirit. 
But the year 1847 was to end his struggles and labors, 
and bring him the rest which earth generally yields 
her sons. He had for several years been in a decline, 
and in September he gained his release. 

Of a nervous, ardent, and highly sympathetic na- 
ture, he may have laid himself open to attack from 
the very impetuosities of his temper ; and, like all men 
of his temperament, he was in constant danger of 
falling a prey to designing men. Indeed, at times, 
while at Saratoga, he came into collision with some 
of his brother ministers, but he was prompt to for- 
give and forget ; and the differences of to-day were 
covered with the garment of charity to-morrow. 

Mr. Whelpley's manners (such is the testimony of 
Chancellor Walworth) were as polished and scholarly 
as his conversation and his writings, and to these he 
may, in a considerable degree, have owed the good 
fortune which gave him for wives the two women who 
shared his affection. His first wife was Miss Susan 
Angus, of Perch Amboy, a lady of refinement of char- 
acter and of considerable talent. She was an authoress 
when women seldom touched the pen. His second 
wife was Miss Abigail Belden, the eldest daughter of 
the late Rev. Mr. Belden, well known to old New 
Yorkers from his long and prominent connection with 



REV. MR. WHELPLEY. 



271 



the public-school system. Notwithstanding, also, 
that this marriage was a love-match, and a runaway 
one at that, Mrs. Whelpley made her husband a de- 
voted wife. She possessed great dignity of character 
and sweetness of disposition, and the communion of 
mind and heart were happily blended between them. 
After her marriage, Mrs. Whelpley turned her atten- 
tion to literature, and wrote for many of the periodi- 
cals with which her husband was connected. 

By his first wife, Rev. Mr. Whelpley left seven 
children, most of whom are living. By his second 
wife he had but one child, Henry B. Whelpley, who 
still lives to hold in affectionate remembrance the 
father of his childhood. 

Upon Mr. Griswold's retirement. Rev. A. T. Ches- 
ter was called to the church. Rev. John Woodbridge 
(now of New Brunswick, N. J.) succeeded him ; and 
he in turn was followed by the Rev. Mr. Newman. 

" The memory of the just is blessed." 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Rev. Francis Wayland, 

" Sure the last end 
Of the good man is peace. . . . 
Behold him in the evenmg tide of life ; 
A life well spent, whose only care it was 
His riper years should not upbraid his green, 
By unperceived degrees he wears away, 
Yet, like the setting sun, seems larger at his setting." 

" There rests a man of God, for heaven was his on earth ; 
A friend of man, for all the world he loved ; 
A hero, for he smiled at death. 
And died to live for ever." 

REV. FRANCIS WAYLAND was born in Frome, 
in the County of Somerset, England, in June, 
1772 — the family of his father being old inhabitants 
of that town. His mother died suddenly, while her 
children, three in number, were quite young. He 
ever retained a vivid recollection of the scene — the 
grief of his father, and personal appearance of his 
mother, whose memory was ever cherished with fond 
endearment. His father was also removed from them 
before Francis, the youngest child, had attained his 
eleventh year. 

Both parents were members of the Baptist church 
in Frome. Thus left early an orphan, he has often 

273 



REV. FRANCIS WAY LAND. 27^ 



been heard to say that he made the Bible his 
companion, and resolved that the God of his fathers 
should be his God ; and henceforth, in any circum- 
stances of care, perplexity, or discouragement, would 
lift up his eyes to Heaven, crying, *' My Father, thou 
art the guide of my youth." The early deprivation 
of his parents, and the bent of his young mind to 
serious things, were probably the cause of his entering 
with very little interest into the sports of boyhood 
and giving what, to his youthful associates, seemed 
great gravity of character. But there was awakened 
a sympathy and tenderness to orphanage which were 
ever manifest through the whole period of his life, 
and probably tended to that nice appreciation and 
exquisite relish of all the endearments and kind 
urbanities of domestic life, which few perhaps had en- 
joyed in so high a degree. All who ever knew him 
must be aware of the high appreciation in which 
he held family religion, the responsibilities of the 
parental relation, and the influence Christian house- 
holds should exert in the church and in the world. 

Soon after leaving school, Francis made a public 
profession of religion, but whether he joined the 
church to which his parents belonged, the author 
is not sure. 

Having married early in life, Mr. and Mrs. Wayland 
sailed for the United States, 1793; and shortly after 
their arrival at New York, united themselves with 
the Fayette Street Baptist church, then under the 



274 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



pastoral care of Rev. J. Williams. The institutions 
of this country they both highly prized, and taught 
their children ever to respect and cherish. Her child- 
hood's recollection of the " Lollard's Pit " probably 
awakened in Mrs. Wayland — herself a native of 
Norwich — a strong aversion to religious intolerance 
and persecution. This feeling was also confirmed 
by an intimate acquaintance with sacred and profane 
history ; and this sentiment, which she felt so 
strongly, she inculcated in her children. She was 
of exemplary piety and uncommon vigor of mind, 
blended with great gentleness and polished manners. 
She left an impression on her children that was 
intellectually and morally a good one ; and it is but 
just to say that her mental and most refined tastes 
were in harmony, nay, they were indulged in subordi- 
nation to a practical knowledge and minute attention 
to those domestic avocations which under any cir- 
cumstances could properly claim the attention of her 
sex. With manners and acquisitions fitting her to 
adorn any station, she was equally at home with the 
poor and illiterate, and was ever ready to join her 
husband in his visits to the sorrowing and afflicted. 

Nor was her husband on his part less ready to help 
any younger brother to whom counsel and assistance 
might be of service. When the late Dr. Sharpe — so 
long the revered pastor of the Charles Street Baptist 
Church, Boston — arrived in New York City in 1805, 
Mr. Wayland extended to him, in the first month of 



REV. FRANCIS IV A YL AND. 2/5 



his arrival, the courtesies of a senior friend and the 
kindest invitations to his home. Of this Dr. Sharpe 
always cherished a grateful remembrance. *' From 
this period," writes Dr. Sharpe, *' a friendship com- 
menced, which was never for a moment marred or in- 
terrupted until the hour of his decease. When I 
commenced my studies for the Christian ministry, he 
being some twelve years older than myself, and having 
seen more of the world, and being perhaps more grave 
and staid in his habits, his care followed me to the 
city of Philadelphia. He voluntarily opened a corre- 
spondence with me. It need not be said to those who 
knew him that his letters were filled with expressions 
of friendship, with incentives to piety, and with max- 
ims of prudence, as well as with those cautions and 
warnings which a young man in my position might 
seem to need. I have no doubt of their salutary in- 
fluence over me. I see their utility and necessity 
now more clearly than I did then. I mention these 
facts to suggest how useful persons of mature age 
may be, by kind attentions, wise hints, and words of 
encouragement offered to those who are younger than 
themselves." 

At first Mr. Wayland, like Dr. Sharpe, was a " lay 
preacher " — a class of ministers now almost extinct in 
this country. He was devoted to business pursuits, 
but he preached to destitute neighborhoods, supplied 
vacant pulpits, and was at the call of poor churches 
not blessed with the means of sustaining a settled 



276 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



pastor. In this gratuitous but truly Christian voca- 
tion he labored for several years, until his first as- 
sumption of the pastoral relation at Poughkeepsie. 
Here his ministry was much blessed, and he was the 
means of building up the church, between which and 
himself a strong attachment ever existed. 

But he had the impression that he might be more 
useful elsewhere. He therefore removed to Albany, 
where he rerriained, perhaps, not more than a year; 
after this he took the pastoral charge of what is now 
designated the First Baptist church, in Troy. He 
continued to reside with his family in the latter city 
for some years after resigning the charge of the church, 
where his Sabbaths were employed in ministering to 
destitute churches, and he was specially instrumental 
in raising up a church in Albia, a manufacturing vil- 
lage east of Troy. 

His first visits to Saratoga Springs were of a mis- 
sionary character. He found the Baptist church there, 
though it had been sometime in existence, in a feeble 
and scattered condition ; and ultimately resolved to 
remove his family to that place, and assume the pas- 
toral charge of the church. It was a field of labor at 
this period difficult of cultivation ; and there were 
many disadvantages from the place of worship being 
two miles from the village, where now is the'' Patrick 
Neighborhood," and at that time remote from the 
centre of population. But by strenuous exertions he 
induced the society to make an effort to erect a place 



LABORS OF FRANCIS WAYLAND. 



277 



of worship in the village, which was accomplished, 
perhaps, chiefly through his instrumentality. 

Some years afterwards he resigned the charge of 
the church to the Rev. John Lamb, a young brother 
in the ministry who gave promise of filling the place 
usefully. But he never, even in advancing years, drew 
back from the services of the ministry. Destitute and 
feeble churches he encouraged by his gratuitous min- 
istrations. He was ready to serve the church in any 
position. She was dear to him as the '' apple of his 
eye" — engraven, as it were, on his hands ; for her 
prosperity he labored, and for her he offered his con- 
stant prayers. 

'' No one," writes Dr. Sharpe, '' was ever more will- 
ing to take the lowest or the highest place (preferring 
the lowest), if by so doing he could supply any lack 
of service. His house was the scene of an intelligent, 
dignified, but cordial hospitality for the friends of 
Christ of every name. Many have left the gay throngs 
which fill the halls of Saratoga, and have hastened 
away from the midst of music and the mazes of the 
dance, to participate in the free and edifying inter- 
change of religious sentiments, and in the utterances 
of personal experiences and Christian hopes ; and 
there the song of praise and the humble and earnest 
prayer have terminated interviews in which those who 
were present felt they were on the verge of heaven. 
Evenings passed in such favored circles are among the 
♦Joys departed, ne'er to be recalled.' 



2^8 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



But if there was one prominent trait of character for 
which the deceased was distinguished it was the love 
and practice of righteousness. He shunned the very 
appearance of evil. His righteousness was of the 
broad, comprehensive character. He endeavored to 
understand all the duties growing out of all his rela- 
tions, and then he labored most conscientiously and 
untiringly to fulfil them. I do not believe that for 
more than forty years he had knowingly or intention- 
ally done an unfair or unjust action to any human 
being. I do not believe there had been a day in all 
those years in which he had not rather have suffered 
wrong than done wrong. There was an integrity that 
was inflexible. There never was a man who knew 
him that doubted this. He never wore a mask. He 
was above all disguises. His countenance, his words, 
and his offered or withheld hand were true indexes of 
his thoughts and feelings. No person could possibly 
mistake how the deceased stood and felt toward him. 
And yet, with inflexibility of principle, there was a 
gentleness of disposition and manners which won for 
him the love and confidence both of the young and 
the old who came within the sphere of his- acquaint- 
ance. Nor was he less observant of the claims of his 
Maker. He was eminently pious. His habitual con- 
templations were religious. God's law, man's sinful- 
ness, Christ's mediation, grace reigning through 
righteousness, and the eternal states of the dead, were 
the themes of his meditation and of his daily dis- 



REV. FRANCIS WAY LAND. 



279 



course. Many a pleasant hour, and in many a long 
and pleasant walk, as well as in the family circle, have 
I spent with him in the elucidation and illustration 
and familiar conversation on these and on kindred 
topics. I need not say that in him the work of 
righteousness was peace, and the effect of righteous- 
ness, quietness and assurance for ever. The evenincr 
of his life was calm and beautiful. His soul had 
heaven and peace within. It is not saying too much 
to apply to him the words of Watts : 

' Quick as his thoughts his joys came on, 
But fled not half so fast away.' 

And when he met with severe bereavements that 
passage was fulfilled in his experience, * Thou wilt 
keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on 
thee, because he trusteth in thee.' Nor was he less 
tranquil when suddenly the footfall of death was 
' heard." 

For two or three weeks previous to the attack 
which proved fatal on the 9th of March, 1849, ^^^fter 
an illness of only three days, a more than usual 
heavenly serenity seemed to pervade his mind. He 
was better in health than he had been since an attack 
of influenza with which he was afflicted the February 
previous. He had resumed his usual walks and visita- 
tions among the bereaved, the sick, and the aged, his 
last call being upon the late Mrs. Washington Putnam, 
who was then in deep affliction from the sudden loss 



28o REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



of her husband ; saw many young persons who called 
to converse with him on the subject of religion (it was 
a revival season of deep interest) ; magnified the 
grace of God, which had been manifested in the con- 
version of some of the members of his family, for 
whom he had felt a special interest ; and encouraged 
the excellent pastor of the church to faithfulness and 
dependence on the Holy Spirit, from the seals that 
God had recently granted to his ministry; and in, the 
meetings for prayer, which his health never again per- 
mitted him to attend, he seemed to have peculiar 
nearnefts to the throne of grace, and to enter into the 
fruition of the glorified state. 

The grace of God in Christ was the theme upon 
which he dwelt. That the summons '' to come up 
hither " should have been welcome to one who was 
not only spiritually but heavenly minded, may be sup- 
posed. To one of his granddaughters who saw him 
soon after his attack, he said, *' My child, I am going 
home." Home was a word ever endeared to him. 
Though he suffered at times much bodily pain, he 
was ever patient and tranquil. A cheerful serenity 
characterized the temper of his mind. No promise 
of God, he said, had ever failed him, and he was sure 
he would be with him to the end. Though desirous 
of seeing his absent children, he quietly submitted to 
his heavenly Father, and left them his blessing and 
his testimony to the faithfulness of God and the hap- 
piness of walking under the shadow of his cross. 



LAST HOURS OF FRANCIS WAYLAND. 28 1 



There were several of his favorite hymns which he 
requested one of his daughters to read to him. The 
last portion of Scripture which she read to him was 
the sixteenth Psalm. He repeated: *' I have set the 
Lord always before me ; because he is at my riglit 
hand, I shall not be moved." Two of his ministering 
brethren, Rev. Dr. Chester, of the Presbyterian 
church, and the Rev. Mr. Kingsbury, of the Baptist, 
were one or the other constantly with him ; and had 
they been his sons they could not have manifested a 
more filial or affectionately tender regard. To Dr. 
Chester he repeated the lines of a favorite hymn : 

" Soon shall I see and hear and know 
All I desired or hoped below, 
And every power find sweet employ 
In that eternal world of joy." 

Entirely relieved from pain for an hour or two be- 
fore his dissolution, he was disposed to speak ; but 
complying with the request of his kind medical 
attendant, of which he was reminded in tones of filial 
love by those who watched around him, he was 
silent. But his countenance beaming with love and 
peace and joy and hope, while he affectionately and 
lingeringly gazed on what was so soon to pass from 
his sight, his breath suddenly changed, he closed his 
eyes, but it was to open them on the clear visions of 
heavenly glory. Earth was changed for heaven. 
The sting of death was removed ; the victory was 



282 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



through Christ, whose grace he magnified, and on 
whom he Hved. 

'* Night dews fall not more gently on the ground, 
Nor weary, worn-out winds expire so soft." 

The funeral services, which took place in the 
church, were appropriate and impressive ; the Presby- 
terian and Methodist ministers taking a prominent 
part. The sermon was preached by the pastor of the 
Baptist church, before a numerous attendance. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Miles Beach. 

**Hath he not always treasures, always friends. 
The good man ? — treasures — love and light, 
And calm thoughts, regular as infant's breath ; 
And three firm friends, more sure than day and night — 
Himself, his Maker, and the Angel Death." 

Coleridge. 

A /r ILES BEACH, one of the early and most 
^^ ^ prominent citizens of Saratoga, was born in 
Salisbury, Conn., May 19, 1775 — one month after the 
battle of Lexington. His mother's name was Lucy 
Stevens — his grandmother being Lucy Thompson, a 
sister of Smith Thompson, a former Chief-Justice of 
the State of New York, afterwards a United States 
Judge. His ancestors repose in the old Puritan 
burying-ground in Hartford — a moss-covered grave- 
stone still bearing the names of *' Colonel Miles Beach 
and Sally Beach." Zerah Beach, the father of the 
subject of the present sketch, removed with his fam- 
ily to the town of Ballston, in 1786; and in 1807 his 
son Miles was married to Cynthia Warren, daughter 
of Captain John Warren of the Revolution, and 
granddaughter of Major Isaac Belknap of Newburgh. 

The latter officer was an intimate and confidential 

283 



284 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



friend of Washington, who was a frequent guest at 
his house, and also entrusted him with many com- 
missions demanding for their successful execution 
superior judgment and bravery. It was with Major 
Belknap's daughter, Elizabeth (the mother of the 
present Mrs. Miles Beach and the late Hon. W. L. F. 
Warren), that Washington opened the ball given at 
the Temple, in April, 1783, on the announcement of 
the exchange of the preliminary articles of peace.* 

In 1809, the family removed to Saratoga, where 
Mr. Beach, who had early manifested a taste for mer- 
cantile pursuits immediately opened two stores — one 
just north of Congress Hall and one near the High 
Rock Spring in what was then, as it is now, called the 
'* Upper Village." Subsequently, in 18 14, he consoli- 
dated the two at the corner of Church Street and 
Broadway. He died in 1837, leaving two sons — one 
of whom, William A. Beach, of New York City, is an 
eminent lawyer — and two daughters. 

Mr. Beach was a man of influence, both on account 
of his mercantile abilities and sterling: ijood sense. 
For many years he was the leading business man and 
one of the successful merchants of the town, and for 
a long period postmaster of the village. Prominent 
also, as he was, in the politics of the day, he was on 
terms of intimate friendship with such men as Martin 
Van Buren, Flagg, and Croswell, who in the summer 



* See Eager'* History of Orange County^ and Ruttenber's History of the To%vn 
0/ Xcwburgh. 



MRS. MILES BEACH 



285 



season were frequent visitors at his house. Cowen 
and Walworth were also familiar guests around his 
hearthstone — attracted there by his comprehensive 
mind, his sound judgment, and his extensive knowl- 
edge. Among the many admirable traits in the 
character of Mr. Beach was his readiness to assist 
those who needed help in the start for life. No one, 
if worthy, no matter how indigent, appealed to him 
in vain ; and several persons, now occupying influen- 
tial positions, have told me of his kindly aid extended 
to them when they were on the point of giving up the 
race in despair. 

Mr. Beach was also a man of great integrity of 
character, possessing, moreover, warm affections and 
the most tender sensibilities. This latter trait was 
shown especially in his treatment of the aged. It 
is said that even when he was a little boy he was 
always affected to tears by one bowed down by the 
infirmities of age ; and throughout his entire life this 
peculiar tenderness of his heart was exhibited. He 
was a firm believer in the religion of Christ, and died 
in the hope of a blessed immortality. 

The widow of Miles Beach still survives at an 
advanced age — she having completed her eighty- 
sixth birth-day on the 2d of August, 1874. She 
still occupies the old homestead on the corner of 
Church Street and Broadway which was erected in 
1 8 14. Mrs. Beach was educated at the Moravian 
School in Bethlehem, Penn., a school which, to this 



286 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

day, ranks among the best in the country,* and she 
still cherishes the sacred and tender memories that 
cluster around the spot where, more than seventy 
years ago, under the benign and hallowed influences 
of Christian nurture, some of her happiest years were 
spent. Among other anecdotes, illustrative of the 
principles upon which this truly model school is 
carried on, Mrs. Beach relates with great tenderness 
of feeling the kind and gentle admonition she re- 
ceived from Brother Van Vleck. On one occasion 
one of the larger girls had lifted her over the fence 
separating the school garden from the widows* 
grounds that she might pick up apples for them. 
One of the widows saw the proceeding, and as she 
alighted on the ground picked her up and carried 
her to Brother Van Vleck, from whom she received 
the tenderest reproof — in fact, the spirit of love and 
gentleness seemed to pervade the entire school. 
Mrs. Beach is remarkable for the clearness and fine 
preservation of her faculties, shown both by her. 
wonderful conversational powers and the polished 
grace of her '' old-school " manners. 

* For a more particular account of this school, its principles, and the peculiai 
customs of the Moravians, the reader is referred to Stone's '■''Memoirs of Mrs. Gen. 
RiedeseV Mrs. Gen. Riedescl, after her capture by General Gates was quartered 
there by the Continental Congress, until her husband's exchange. Also a Histo->-y of 
the Rise., Progress.^ and Present Condition of the Bethlehem Female Seminary, 
1858. By WilUam C. Reichel. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Henry Walton a?td John Clarke, 

^^ First Officer o/ the IVatch.—'' Vint know you them? Are they good men and 
true?' 

'■'■ Second Officer of the Watch. — ' Marry, sir, as well as my old grandmother. I 
do certify that they be good men and true.' " 

—Old Play, 1670. 

HENRY WALTON, the father of WilHam Wal- 
ton and of the late Cruger Walton, was de- 
scended from one of the oldest, most influential and 
distinguished families in the colonial history of New 
York State ; and it is not a little singular that near the 
spot where Great Britain's power over her American 
colonies was broken, there should have settled a 
nephew oi one to whom more than to any other indi- 
vidual was due the severing of those colonies from 
the mother country. Yet such is the fact. 

William Walton, the granduncle of Henry Walton, 
built in 1754 what is now known in New York City 
as the '' Old Walton House," on Franklin Square (op- 
posite the publishing house of Harper & Brothers), 
' then the continuation of Queen Street. It was the 
most costly private residence which at that time had 
been ^attempted. It was English in design, and, as 
far as practicable, an improvement upon all previous 

287 



288' REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



architecture. Its bricks, brown-stone water-tables, 
lintels, jambs, and decorations were imported. Its 
broad portico was upheld by fluted columns, sur- 
mounted with armorial bearings. The heads of lions 
(as they do to this day), cut from the free-stone, look- 
ed down upon the street from between the windows. 
The furniture was in keeping with the style of the 
structure. William Walton was genial, full of bril- 
liancy, and master of the arts of politeness. Din- 
ners were his hobby, and he gathered around his table 
such of the famous men of the Old World as officially, 
or in pursuit of pleasure, visited the New. Nor was 
his person less strongly marked. Dress then (and 
should be now, despite our democratic notions) was 
one of the signs and symbols of a gentleman. Wil- 
liam Walton walked the streets in black satin small- 
clothes, white silk stockings, shoes fastened with glit- 
tering silver buckles, and over a vest of embroidered 
satin, with ruffled shirt peeping forth, he wore a velvet 
coat of any color of the rainbow which best pleased 
Bis fancy. A powdered wig and a cocked hat com- 
pleted his toilet.* 

When the house came into possession of Wil- 
liam Walton f — the nephew and heir of the William 
Walton who erected it — there was no less princely 



* For this account of the " Old Walton House," I am indebted to Miss Martha J. 
Lamb, in Afiplcton^s Journal^ October lo, 1874. 

t His wife was Mane, daughter of Lieutenant Governor De Lancy (father of the 
ate Bishop De Lancy), a lady whose fortune was equal to his own. 



■iMIMMMIiMlttMl 



HENRY WALTON. 289 



style of life within its walls. His lavish entertain- 
ments, the dazzling display of massive silver upon 
his table, the forest of decanters which graced his 
sideboard, and the costly wines that flowed free and 
fast, were prolific subjects for criticism in England. 
They were carried into Parliament, discussed in the 
House of Lords, and at the king's table, and became 
a pet argument in favor of calling upon the colonists 
to help pay the debt of England, since they were- 
wasting their substance in mad extravagance. Hence 
taxation and its long train of circumstances. 

Henry Walton, the nephew of the preceding, and 
the subject of the present sketch, was born in the 
city of New York, on the 8th of October, 1768. At 
the age of twelve years he was sent to England, 
under the especial guardianship of Peter Van Schaick 
(the intimate friend of Sir Wm. Johnson), to be edu- 
cated. In his twentieth year he returned to the city 
of New York, and began the study of law under the 
direction of Aaron Burr. After the conclusion of his 
legal studies, in 1 790, he removed to the town of 
Ballston, where he purchased a tract of land and 
built a house. This place is now known as the 
"■ Delavan Farm." While residing at Ballston he was 
the surrogate of the county during the years 1794- 
i8c8, and was succeeded in that office by Hon. Bcriah 
Palmer. Here he remained until 1816, when he came 
to the village of Saratoga Springs, and took possession 
of the real estate which he inherited from his father 



2QO REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



and Uncle Gerard, who had died without issue. 
During his residence in Albany, in 1815, he built 
'* Pine Grove," and occupied it for a few years, when 
he returned to New York. After an absence of five 
years, he returned to Saratoga Springs, and became 
one of the largest landholders of the place. Imme- 
diately on his arrival, he built a beautiful country 
seat on that part of his real estate lying north of the 
village, to which he gave the name of '* Wood Lawn." 
His possessions in this place were bounded by what 
is now Congress Street on the south, John Denton's 
on the north, and lands of Jacob Barhydt and others 
on the east, including all of the present village of 
Saratoga Springs, except that portion which lies 
south of Congress Street and the mineral fountains. 
'He also inherited many other tracts of land in differ- 
ent parts of the county. During the early years of 
his residence at Saratoga he was the law partner of 
Mr. Leavitt. 

In person, Henry Walton was a tall, fine-looking 
man. Like his ancestor, William Walton, he was 
truly gentlemanlike in his manners and feelings, and 
possessed the faculty of binding to himself in close 
social ties the educated and the refined. Though 
warmly attached to the Church of England, and one 
of the principal men whose early efforts were brought 
to bear in behalf of the Episcopalians at the Springs, 
he was singularly free from bigotry. To him belongs 
the honor of presenting the site for the first Presby- 



THE OLD WALTON HOUSE. 



291 



terian church edifice built in this place, and also the 
site occupied for several years by the Universalist 
church on Church Street. The grounds formerly 




The Old Walton House. 



occupied by the '' Broadway Hotel " were also pre- 
sented by him to the Methodists. Nor was this the 
extent of his public spirit. He excavated and tubed 



292 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



the old " Flat Rock Spring," and built over it a chaste 
little Chinese pagoda, which remained over that 
spring many years after his death, and must still be 
remembered by many of the citizens of Saratoga. 
He likewise excavated and tubed the "President," 
called, since 1845, respectively the '' Iodine" and the 
** Saratoga Star Spring." Mr. Walton also inherited 
the architectural tastes of his uncle ; his skill in this 
branch of art being illustrated in his several resi- 
dences at Ballston, Saratoga, Greenfield, "Wood 
Lawn," and in the Pavilion Hotel, built by Mr. 
Nathan Lewis in the years 18 18- 19. 

Mr. Walton, or, as he was usually called. Judge 
Walton, was a man of high culture and polished man- 
ners. Especially was he skilled in the elegant arts 
and adornments of life, which, by travel and observa- 
tion, had in him been wrought up to a marvellous de- 
gree of perfection. His chief characteristics were 
high bred courtesy, peculiarly refined tastes, and a 
general public spirit. He interested himself greatly 
in the general and material well-being of the place, 
and his death was a public misfortune. He died in 
the city of New York, on the 15th of September, 
1844, ill the seventy-sixth year of his age, and was 
buried in the family vault in Trinity church-yard, by 
the side of a long line of illustrious ancestry 

Doctor John Clarke. 
In 1826, John Clarke (called Doctor Clarke by 



DR. CLARKE'S IMPROVEMENTS. 



293 



courtesy), a native of Yorkshire, England, purchased 
from the Livingstons the farm on which the Con- 
gress Spring is situated. Mr. Clarke was well calcu- 
lated, by education and experience, to take charge 
of the Spring, being acquainted with the properties 
of acidulated drinks, and having, in 1819, opened the 
first soda-fountain in the city of New York. Soon 
after his purchase of the Spring he began bottling the 
water for exportation, and so well did he do this that 
he very soon realized a handsome income from this 
source alone. Mr. Clarke extended his purchases of 
real estate from time to time, so that at the period of 
his decease he owned, in lands contiguous to the 
Spring, about one thousand acres. His improvements 
were always of the best kind, as illustrated by the 
beautiful Crescent lawn, which he reclaimed from the 
deep mud swamp which lay south and east of the 
Spring. The classic Doric structure, as it originally 
stood in its simple beauty on Congress Spring, and the 
prett)^ Grecian temple on the ''Columbian," are but 
incidental specimens of the many improvements which 
his large means, generous spirit, and good taste be- 
stowed upon the village. 

I have grouped Judge Walton and Doctor Clarke 
together, for the reason that to these two contempo- 
raneous citizens the village owes a deep debt of grati- 
tude. Yet no two men could have been more^dis- 
similar. Though both were of English descent, yet 
their habits -and pursuits had been widely different. 



294 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Mr. Walton was more the '' English gentleman," Dr. 
Clarke the ''English squire" (see Irving). In one 
point, however, they both were alike. Dr. Clarke, 
like Judge Walton, was remarkably public-spirited 
and liberal in his views. He took great pride in the 
village and in its prosperity, and where any really 
good project was on hand, he spared neither time, 
pains, nor labor in forwarding it. He was far-seeing 
and clever (in the English sense), and laid early the 
plans which have been of most practical importance to 
the physical prosperity of the town. An instance of 
this far-sightedness is found in the fact that he early 
secured the enactment of the by-law which remits a 
certain portion of the road-tax to any landholder for 
every tree which he causes to be set out in front of 
his premises. The result of this is seen in the beauti- 
ful shade-trees which adorn the dwellings, and are the 
constant admiration of the strangers who sojourn at 
Saratoga. 

He was liberal, too, in the best and most sensible 
way. Few men were at so much pains to keep labor- 
ers in employment during the dull months of the 
year; and many devices, which were of no profit to 
him — often, indeed, a positive pecuniary loss — he had 
recourse to, that the families of the poor might be 
supported without the feeling of dependence which 
eats out the self-respect and self-reliance that lie at 
the foundation of all sound and healthy charac- 
ter. We need scarcely add the uniform testimony 



DR. CLARKE'S PECULIARITIES. 295 

of his employees — " Prompt, steady, regular pay when 
you work for the Doctor, but you must do it zvcll.'' 

Dr. Clarke had an odd habit of attending all kinds 
of auctions, and bidding off all sorts of things that 
were of any possible use. These purchases were regu- 
larly deposited in one of his empty houses, much to 
the wonder of the many ; but those poor bodies who 
chanced to be burned out during the winter, or the 
poor woman whose husband was hurt or killed, or 
those who had had a hard time with sickness and lost 
their household goods for rent, none of these came to 
Dr. Clarke in vain ; for out of this heterogeneous 
and constantly replenished collection they were always 
helped to something comfortable. 

Dr. Clarke had tw^o very important and very decided 
theories or ideas concerning the mineral waters. One 
was, that whatever spring a person drank of most 
freely, that he liked the best, was sure he needed 
most, and recommended most earnestly. Hence his 
own interest and the general beauty of the place were 
equally enhanced by making the surroundings of his 
springs peculiarly agreeable and attractive, with as 
free access to them as possible. Acting on this idea, 
he engaged, at an early day, Johnson's band, which 
he employed for many seasons to discourse music, 
morning and evening,* in the Congress Spring grounds. 



* The first music furnished at the hotels was in 1822. The band, composed of col- 
ored men and led by Frank Johnson, first played at " Congress Hall," until the com- 
pletion of the " United States," when they played at each hotel on alternate evenings. 



296 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



This, like every other liberal policy, in the long run 
proved most successful. The other idea which 
he held concerning the mineral waters in their refer- 
ence to the well-being of the town, was that the water 
should never be taken from the village except regu- 
larly in bottles. He was utterly opposed to its being 
sent away in barrels, because, as he said, the seaboard 
had its own attractions, and he was not disposed to 
add to them the peculiar advantages of this place — 
*' Spring water on dr aught. '' 

It was Dr. Clarke's often expressed opinion, even 
when there was scarcely a house built or a street laid 
out there, that the village would increase most rapidly 
to the south-east. Acting on this belief, he offered 
to the Episcopal society, as a gift, the beautiful build- 
ing-lot on the brow of the hill at the south-east cor- 
ner of Circular and East Congress Street — now Union 
Avenue. The gift was at first accepted, the founda- 
tions were laid, and several clergymen from abroad, 
together with a general attendance of citizens, parti- 
cipated in and witnessed the religious services of laying 
the corner-stone. But a difference of opinion soon 
after arose, and other counsels prevailed, all of which 
resulted in building the Bethesda church, in Washing- 
ton Street. This was a matter of regret to many 
citizens both within and outside of the Episcopal 
Church, who would have rejoiced greatly to see a fine 
church edifice crowning the hill on that most appro- 



■HRWVl 



CIRCULAR STREET. 



297 



priate site. It has been called since, and for this 
reason, "Temple Grove." 

Dr. Clarke, also, had much to do in laying out 
the streets in the south part of the villac^e ; and ft 
was he who planned and named Circular Street — 
carrying out in part his idea of having a wide 
street surrounding the town. The original design 
was a true semicircle — but some owners of land op- 
posing the project, the complete carrying out of 
the plan was prevented. We shall also always feel 
grateful that Dr. Clarke loved trees, and knew the 
value of the beautiful pines which he saved, but 
which have since his death been most shamefully 
and ruthlessly slaughtered in and around the town. 

Dr. Clarke at one time resided in Washington 
Street in the house afterward occupied by the family 
of Dr. Oliver Davidson, the father of the talented 
young poets, Lucretia and Margaret — and more 
recently by George H. Fish. The Methodist Church 
now occupies the ground. Afterward, he built and 
resided in the elegant mansion now owned by Mr. 
Cornelius Sheehan, whose wife is the only daughter 
of Dr. Clarke. 

Dr. Clarke married Mrs. Eliza Bryer, widow of the 
late Charles White, of the firm of Emmett & Co., 
Attorneys and Counsellors-at-law, New York City. 
He died on the 6th of May, 1846, aged seventy- 
three vears. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



Dr. John H. Steel 

" Sincerity is to speak as we think, to do as we pretend and profess, to perform and 
make good what we promise, and really to be what we would seem and appear to be. 
Hypocrisy is the reverse of all this. A sincere man ought to be respected — a hypo- 
crite despised." — Phillips' Aphorisms^ i790- 



T 



OHN HONEYWOOD STEEL was born at 
^ Leicester, Mass., in 1780. He was the son of 
Samuel Steel and Anne Garfield. His grandfather, 
Samuel Steel, of the same place, married a daughter 
of Rev. Ebenezer Pembleton and was Judge of the 
County Court. His great-grandfather, Thomas Steel, 
of that town, married Mary Gushing; was there 
taxed, in 1757, for 337 acres of land; died July 
18, 1776; and concerning whom rnention is thus 
made in Washburn's Judicial History of Massachu- 
setts : *' Thomas Steel, a Judge of the Court of Com- 
mon Pleas, from 1756 to 1776, in Worcester County, 
Mass., was a native of Boston, from which place he 
removed to Leicester, where he spent the remainder 
of his days. He was graduated at Cambridge in 
1730. He was bred a merchant and pursued that 
business before and after leaving Boston. He was a 
Loyalist in his politics, and a man of influence, until 

2()8 



ANCESTRY OF DR. STEEL. 



299 



the period of the Revolution. He frequently repre- 
sented the town of Leicester in the General Court, 
and was much respected by his fellow-citizens as 
a man of integrity." The father of the latter was 
also named Thomas ; came from England to reside in 
Boston, and was a descendant of the family of William 
and John Steel, Esquires. William Steel, Esq., was 
magistrate, counsellor, and, not long after, Recorder 
of London; and then was created Baron, and Lord- 
Lieutenant of Ireland. John Steel, Esq., was pur- 
chaser of the Leicestershire estates, and married the 
daughter of Edward Nicol, Esq., of Henderson, 
County of Middlesex, whose daughter married Sir 
Charles Bromfield, Bart., of Barton-under-Needwood, 
County of Stafford. 

The subject of the present chapter, whose career 
began with such an illustrious lineage, exemplified 
in his own life the virtues of his ancestry. 

Dr. Steel was named for his great-uncle by mar- 
riage. Dr. John Honeywood, of England, who re- 
moved to Leicester, Mass. He left home when he 
was quite young; and, as his father and mother 
died soon after, he never returned. The neighbor- 
hood of the home of his boyhood was disturbed by 
Indians, who still remained in considerable numbers, 
and were not yet brought into subjection. His parents 
lived at quite a distance from neighbors, in the tradi- 
tional temporary log-cabin of the early settler, the 
only openings to which were a door and a single 



300 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



window near the latter. He would sometimes refer 
with pleasure to that humble dwelling, and speak of 
the perils of those days. Once, when his mother was 
alone with her children, boiling soap, a distant whoop 
in the forest announced a visitation, and not a friendly 
one. Immediately, drawing some article of furni- 
ture against the door, undaunted, she stood ready, 
dipper in hand. Trying the door without success, 
the Indians attempted to enter by the small window. 
But each, in turn, being vigorously met by a dipper- 
ful of the scalding compound, the enemy was fain 
to beat a retreat, utterly discomfited. These early 
scenes and trials gave him nerve and enterprise, and 
started him on his career with an indomitable spirit. 

He read medicine with Dr. Daniel Bull of Saratoga, 
who lived east of the Lake, at " Dean's Corners." 

In March, 1829, the Regents of the University of 
the State of New York conferred upon him the hon- 
orary degree of Doctor of Medicine. He received 
his diploma to practise physic and surger)^ in the 
State of New York, on January 19, 1800; was made 
a member of the County Medical Society on June 10, 
1808; was chosen Censor of it in 1808, 1809, 1810, 
1820, 1827, 1828, i^i, and 1832; Secretary in 1811, 
1812. 1813, and 1814; Vice-President in 1816, 1817 ; 
President in 1818 and 1819; was almost a constant 
attendant at its meetings, and took an active and 
prominent part during all the thirty years that he was 
a member ; was President of the State Medical Soci- 



HONORS TO DR. STEEL. •:>oi 



ety in 1820, 1824 ; was appointed by Governor Tomp- 
kins Surgeon of the Fourth Regiment of Cavalry of 
the State of New York, on May 6, 181 1, which was 
mustered into service for the *' War of 1812"; was 
Assistant Surgeon on board a man-of-war — Tlie 
President — and was at the bombardment of Algiers 
by the United States Navy. On August 29th, 1 8 14, 
he was commissioned as Surgeon in a detachment of 
Militia of the State of New York. He was a promi- 
nent Freemason. He was elected Corresponding 
Member of the Albany Lyceum of Natural History, 
on March 19, 1823; and Honorary Member of the 
Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, Canada, 
on February 28, 1828 ; and Corresponding Member of 
the Society of Natural History of Montreal, Canada, 
on October 27, 1828 ; and was either an honorary or 
corresponding rnember of nearly every historical or 
scientific society of any note in the United States, 
Canada, and of many throughout Europe. Among 
the papers he left are a large number of diplomas 
conferring honorary degrees by institutions of learning 
at home and abroad, besides autograph letters from 
several crowned heads and distinguished sava7its who 
have left undying names in the annals of scientific 
literature. To enlarge upon these, which were more 
dearly earned and much more highly estimated then 
than now, would extend this sketch beyond the limits 
assigned, jand crowd out matter more immediately in- 
teresting to the general reader. 



302 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Dr. Steel married Mary Taylor, daughter of Ziba 
Taylor, and sister of Hon. Miles Taylor, December 
23, 1817, at Saratoga Springs, where he died in 1838, 
after a long and successful practice of medicine and 
surgery. He left a widow, who died June 27, 1872, 
and six children (three sons and three daughters), 
four of whom are still living. Here he was respected 
and beloved by the entire community, nearly all the 
members of which considered themselves his patients. 
Summer visitants also consulted him in large numbers, 
many of them continuing to consult him after re- 
turninc: to their homes. He endeared himself to all 
classes by his suavity of manner, genial ways, good- 
ness of heart, and intelligent painstaking in the treat- 
ment of their real sicknesses as well as their imaginary 
ailings; the latter requiring that tact and good sense 
which, more than mere skill in the art, render the 
physician great. With these traits he combined those 
other essentials of learning, erudition, and sagacity 
which inspired confidence and gave him the influence 
of a wise and good man. He was devoted to his 
profession, from pure love of the work ; treated his 
patients as neighbors ; never prospered at the ex- 
pense of the poor, nor levied heavy tribute upon the 
rich. He spurned deceptions and shams in every 
form, carrying, indeed, this aversion so far as to be 
decidedly impatient of disguises in any person. This 
gave him, at times, a seeming roughness of man- 
ner which did not belong to his character. He 



DR. STEEDS GENEROSITY. 303 



was just and discriminating in all his dealings; en- 
couraged local enterprises for advancing the pros- 
perity of the town ; was public- spirited, and ful- 
filled his duty as a citizen by giving proper attention 
to politics, although he never held any political office 
except as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Sa- 
ratoga County and as Postmaster of the Village of Sa- 
ratoga Springs. He accepted these offices more as 
an accommodation to the community than for honor 
or profit to himself. After discharging the duties of 
judge very acceptably for several years, he resigned 
in favor of Hon. Thomas J. Marvin, who succeeded 
him in that office. 

In person, he was of large proportions, heavy frame, 
united with a cheery, bright manner. He was quick 
and apt of speech, with a droll humor which would 
make the patient forget himself when the doctor 
came into his presence ; and he possessed the tender- 
est of natures. He found nothing too much to do to 
relieve real suffering, and was so observant of the 
little ways of doing kindness, that the author believes 
that there was never a man more thoroughly loved or 
trusted by his patients. During his last illness, which 
he knew must be fatal, he had his account-books 
brought to his bedside, and, looking over his accounts, 
threw bills for hundreds of dollars into the fire, saying 
to his wife : '' These are poor people, Mary ; it is best 
not to trouble them." There was, moreover, a keen 
observation, a straightforward look into the causes of 



304 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



things — a comprehensive view, and a steady, fearless 
search for truth running through his whole character. 

He was not only noted as a distinguished physician 
and surgeon, but was widely known as a chemist, 
geologist, and scientist. His correspondence with 
learned men was extensive, and his letters displayed a 
culture in general literature seldom attained by one 
so pressed with engagements in an exacting profes- 
sion. 

His treatise upon the mineral waters of Saratoga — 
SteeVs Analysis — was the first tJiorotigh work of the 
kind, and has formed the basis of all that has since 
been published upon the subject. His work, also, on 
the Geology of the County is clear, comprehensive, and 
fully abreast of the period in which he wrote. Many 
of his views, though then new, have, in the advance 
of science, fully proved his sagacity. He had a very 
extensive and valuable cabinet of minerals, among 
which was a fine collection he received in exchange 
from the King of Denmark. These, together with a 
writing-desk given to him by Commodore Decatur, 
and other interesting relics and mementos were sur- 
reptitiously carried off by some evil-disposed person 
shortly after his death. 

Dr. Steel built, and lived, and died in the house which, 
until recent j-ears, stood on the west side of Broad- 
way opposite Caroline Street, a few doors south of the 
late Judge Warren's residence. He was the "• consult- 
ing physician " of this and the adjoining counties as 



UiUiM^ys^ 



LAST DAYS OP DR. STEEL. 305 



long as he lived. Having come here at so early a 
period, he was, so to speak, inosaiced into the com- 
munity. Sorrowful, indeed, was it to many hearts to 
watch his gradual decline — taking shorter and shorter 
drives behind that noble white horse of his, leaning 
more heavily day by day on his cane, and ascending 
the stairs from house to house with more and more 
difficulty — while now and then sinking into a chair, 
he would say, *' Well, well ; I am going." And at 
last, confined to his sick-room, he waited and watched 
his symptoms, and told of himself as he, in turn, had 
told of so many others, *' The end is near." 

His death fell like a pall upon the village. Every 
one, rich and poor, felt that they had lost a friend, 
whose like they did not expect to find again. Medi- 
cal and other societies passed resolutions of regret 
and esteem, and the citizens erected a stone to his 
memory which bears this inscription : "■ Erected by 
the Inhabitants of Saratoga Springs to the Memory 
of John H. Steel, M.D., who died April 23, 1838, 
aged 57 years." But these public honors were cold 
and formal compared with the deeper sorrow expe- 
rienced and expressed by private individuals, in every 
station, throughout the community at large. 

His surviving contemporaries — of whom there are 
but few left — retain the liveliest recollections of this 
'* Model Doctor," and relate many amusing anecdotes 
and instructive incidents in his life; some of which, 
for pith and sententiousness, rival the best of those 



^06 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

related of Dr. Abernethy. He had some eccentrici- 
ties, which may be said to have been "' peculiar to 
genius," rather than attributable to acerbity. He 
was reticent concerning himself and he shrank from 
publicity ; and, judging from the disinclination of 
his children to furnish the requisite materials for 
such a sketch, there is little doubt that they have 
inherited his modesty, which was doubtless his chief 
eccentricity. They possess a trunk of papers, stored 
away, to which they deny access; but this book 
would have been incomplete if so distinguished a 
character had been left out of it ; and the author 
would have been derelict if he had not availed him- 
self of such meagre sources of information as were 
open to him, to preserve the memory, although im- 
perfectly, of this honored citizen of Saratoga. 



CHAPTER XXX. 
Dr. Richard L. Allen. 

" How sweet the task, to lighten human woes, 
And soothe the troubled heart to soft repose ! 
How sweet the task, the poor man's heart to cheer, 
And wipe from sorrow's eye the falling tear! 
To clothe the naked, give the hungry bread, 
And calm the tumults of the dying bed." 

"D ICHARD L. ALLEN was born in Greenfield, 

J-^ Saratoga County, N. Y., of Quaker parents, in 

February, i8o8. His parents came from New Bed- 

, ford, Mass., his father being a retired sea-captain. He 

i studied medicine at Sl<:aneateles, and afterwards grad- 

i uated at Fairfield, Herkimer County, N. Y. After a 

brief period spent in teaching, he came to Saratoga in 

1832, and entered into partnership with the late Dr. 

I John H. Steel — a connection which was dissolved by 

the death of the latter in 1838. In 1836, he married 

Miss Aurelia Putnam, daughter of the late Benjamin 

R. Putnam, and a granddaughter of Gideon Putnam, 

one of the pioneers of Saratoga. He filled the office 

of postmaster under President Van Buren ; was quite 

prominent in politics, and, being a pleasant, logical, 

and effective speaker, took the "stump" in several 

campaigns. He was for many years a member of the 

National Medical Association of the United States, 

307 



308 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



.as well as of the New York Medical Society. He 
was several times President of the Medical Associa- 
tion, comprising the counties of Saratoga, Washing- 
ton, and Warren ; filling, indeed, that office at the 
time of his decease. In addition to his large prac- 
tice, he was in the habit of reading valuable papers 
before the different medical associations, besides de- 
voting a considerable portion of his time to scientific 
pursuits, especially that of geology, in which he was 
recognized as an authority in regard to the mineral- 
ogy of this section of the State. He was also a fre- 
quent contributor to scientific and medical journals, 
and great value was always placed upon his produc- 
tions. He ever took great pleasure in literary pur- 
suits; and no matter what amount of daily duties 
devolved upon him in his extensive practice as a 
physician, he always found several hours daily in 
which to apply himself to those studies in the seclu- 
sion of his library. 

Coming to Saratoga when it was yet in its infancy, 
Dr. Allen settled in the town with a determination to 
identify himself with its interests, to become a part 
of its growth, and to make its welfare his own. After 
practising here, first as a pupil, and then as the part- 
ner of the late Dr. Steel, it was his good fortune 
to become intimate with Nicholas Hill and Sidney J. 
Cowen — a circumstance which proved of great benefit 
to the young student, not only in cultivating his taste 
for " book " learning, but in giving him a more ex- 



GOES ABROAD. ^qQ 



tensive knowledge of men and things. To Sidney J. 
Cowen, especially, he was in this regard greatly in- 
debted ; nor was it long before an opportunity was 
presented of reciprocating his kind offices. Mr. 
Cowen was about to go abroad for his health, and, 
although a lucrative practice was just beginning to 
open upon him, young Allen at once laid aside all 
personal considerations, and offered himself to the 
former as a friend and companion. 

Returning from abroad with a mind well stored 
by travel and observation, and refusing an advan- 
tageous offer of settlement in a large city, he came 
back to Saratoga and resumed the practice of his pro- 
fession. In the year 1852 he formed a partnership 
with Dr. M. N. Babcock, under the firm name of 
Allen & Babcock, and continued in the same business 
relation until a few days before his decease, which oc- 
curred on the 13th oi May, 1873. 

The memory of Richard L. Allen should always be 
honored by the inhabitants of Saratoga Springs. For 
a number of years before his death his attention, out- 
side of his large practice, was exclusively devoted to 
a study of the county and the springs of the village in 
which his lot was cast. In this he labored unceasing- 
ly : and numberless are the times when, after return- 
ing home from a drive, spent since the dawn in pro- 
fessional visits, he has consumed the entire night in 
writing down the result of some particular historical 
observation made during the day. Indeed, it was 



510 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



only shortly before his death that, ill as he was and 
totally unfitted for either mental or physical labor, he 
went to Quebec and penetrated into the wilderness 
near the head-waters of the Ottawa to obtain a fact 
which he thought might be of use in elucidating a 
point in connection with the history of Saratoga. 
Many have been the times when he and myself have 
ridden day and night through driving storms of sleet 
and snow, merely to see some octogenarian whose life 
might be terminated at any moment, and with it any 
chance of gaining possession of some fact relating to 
the early settlement of Saratoga known only to that 
person. '' Time is short," lie would say, " and life is 
uncertain. We must be up and doing." With one or 
two exceptions, he was probably better acquainted 
Avith the history of Burgoyne's campaign than any one 
now living. In the prosecution of these designs his 
energy was most marvellous. Nor with all these out- 
side duties was he neglectful of his profession. A 
large practice, constantly calling for the exercise of 
every faculty, and the demands upon his time as one 
of the chief officers of the County Medical Society, 
would naturally have taxed the powers of an ordinary 
man ; yet, with all this, he found leisure to do his 
work, and to do it uell. His " Guide to the Springs " 
will, up to the period of its date, always remain an 
authority. At his death he left unfinished an ex- 
haustive work upon the " History of Saratoga 
County" and an "Historical Guide to the Battle- 



CHARACTER OF DR. ALLEN. ? 1 1 



Ground." These last works will, it is hoped, be 
completed by competent hands and remain a monu- 
ment to their author, which, among the people with 
whom his life was spent, shall be more enduring than 
those of brass or iron 

From the above sketch an idea may be gleaned of 
the character of the man. It was his aim to make 
himself of use to his species. As a friend he was 
staunch, as a physician he was faithful and conscien- 
tious, equally learned in theory and skilful in practice. 
Naturally of a shrewd, original cast of mind, he united 
to large native endowments high cultivation. An ex- 
tensive library, whose stores were carefully enriched 
with the latest publications, both American and for- 
eign, kept him fully abreast of the ripest thought and 
the best achievements in medical science. He pos- 
sessed also a keen taste for general literature; and, 
besides being a successful physician, was a gentleman 
of genial culture, the lack of an early classical educa- 
tion being in a large measure supplied by a varied 
acquaintance with the best models of English compo- 
sition. His heart was large; his benevolence to the 
poor great. Indeed, these qualities Were, in him, 
faults, as they frequently led him to open his purse 
to those who abused his generosity for their own in- 
terests. With a nature as simple as a child's, and as 
easily worked upon, he dissipated large sums for the 
benefit of others, and thus impoverished himself. 

With a natural perception of the beautiful, rare 



312 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



spiritual insight, and a tenderness mingled alike with 
sweetness and strength, he gave a freshness and a 
glow to all with whom he came in contact. His deeds 
will be remembered as the overflowing of his love for 
his fellow-men. In his death, Saratoga Springs lost 
one of her best and most highly-esteemed citizens, and 
literature and science an earnest student, contributor, 
and worker. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Gideon M. Davison. 

*' Happy the man who sees a God employed 
In all the good and ill that chequer life. 
Resolving all events with their effects 
Into the will and arbitration wise 
Of the Supreme." 

r^ IDEON MINER DAVISON, to whom frequent 
^^^ reference has been made in the preceding pages, 
was born in Middletown, Vt. His parents were from 
Connecticut, and his father a farmer. His father died 
in early life, but his mother will be well remem- 
bered by the older residents of Saratoga. She was a 
woman of uncommon intellect, whose life was de- 
voted to labors of charity among the poor and 
neglected. Her maiden name was Miner. Mr. 
Davison occupied much of the leisure of his later years 
in genealogical studies, and, in the course of these, 
succeeded in tracing back the history of his mother's 
family for a period of five hundred years, to the time 
of Edward III., of England, in whose reign the family 
name of Miner had its origin. The circumstances 
are these : A man named Bulman, who was a miner 
by occupation, enlisted under the banner of his mon- 
arch, who was then at war with France, together with 

313 



314 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



one hundred of his workmen, and armed them with 
weapons. He rendered such gallant and effective 
service that he was rewarded by the king with a crest 
and coat of arms, and from that time assumed the 
name derived from his occupation, i.e.y Miner, This 
crest can now be seen upon a tombstone of one of the 
Miner family in the graveyard^t Stonington, Conn. 
The tombstone is over two hundred years old. Mrs. 
Davison seems to have inherited very much of the 
spirit which characterized the founder of the family ; 
and while her temper and life were singularly amiable 
and lovely, she was also noted for her decision of 
character and firmness to do that which her con- 
science and judgment approved. Indeed, the sub- 
ject of this sketch attributed his success in life very 
largely to the teachings and example of his excel- 
lent mother. 

Mr. Davison received a common school education, 
and at an early age entered the printing-office of 
William Fay, in Rutland, Vt., to learn the '' art pre- 
servative of all arts." After his apprenticeship was 
completed, he went to New York, and worked at 
his trade a few years. Among those with whom 
he was there associated as a workman were the 
Brothers Harper, and others who have since risen 
to fame and fortune. After a few years he returned 
to Rutland and became a partner of Mr. Fay, and 
there married Sarah, daughter of Hon. John Mason, 
of Castleton. During his residence in Rutland the 



COMES TO SARATOGA. ^j- 



firm of Fay & Davison issued a History of the 
War of 1812 — a compilation of the leading facts of 
that contest. They also commenced the publication 
of the Rutland Herald, which, under their manage- 
ment, became a journal of established reputation, 
and is still in existence. 

In 18 17-18 Mr. Davison came to Saratoga, then 
rising into notice as a fashionable watering-place, 
and called upon the leading citizens to consult 
about establishing a paper there. Graudus Van 
Schoonhoven, proprietor of Congress Hall ; Rock- 
well Putnam, proprietor of Union Hall ; Nathan 
Lewis, assistant in Congress Hall; Esek Cowen, 
then a rising young lawyer ; Dr. John li. Steel, 
and Miles Beach, were the principal men consulted, 
and through their advice and influence he decided 
to settle and establish The Saratoga Sentinel, the 
first number of which was issued some time in April, 
1818. It was at first a neutral sheet, but in the 
course of a year or two Mr. Davison identified 
himself with the party of which Reuben H. Wal- 
worth, Esek Cowen, and John H. Steel were the 
leaders, and made the Sentinel^ its organ, in opposition 
to the Ballston Spa Gazette. During the publica- 
tion of the Sentinel he was not unfrequently aided 
by contributions to its editorial columns from some of 
the most eminent writers of the day. Among these 
may be mentioned Col. William L. Stone and 
Nicholas Hill, the famous lawyer, both of whom were 



2i6 REMIXISCEXCES OF SARATOGA. 



his warm personal friends. Upon the organization of 
the courts under the Constitution of 1824, Reuben 
H. Walworth was appointed one of the circuit judges, 
and in 1823 he removed to Saratoga Springs. He 
appointed Mr. Davison the clerk of the Equity or 
Chancery branch of his court, a position which he held 
until the court was abolished under the constitu- 
tion of 1846. When Esek Cowen was appointed 
reporter of the new Supreme Court Mr. Davison 
made arrangements to print his reports, and enlarged 
his office for that purpose. In 1840, he transferred 
his interest in the Sctitinel newspaper to others, 
and increased the capacity of his office for book- 
work, adding a stereotype foundry in 1841, having 
already a power-press in use. In addition to these 
court reports, Mr. Davison edited and published an 
edition of Stevens* AritJnnetic ; a quarto family Bible, 
from stereotype plates ; Smith's Lectures to the Un- 
converted^ an original work by a clergyman of Ball- 
ston ; several editions of Dr. Steel's Analysis of the 
Mineral Waters ; Goodrich's Spelling Book; and in 
1838, he and the late Judge Warren compiled a guide 
book, which appeared upder the titles of The Fashion- 
able Tour and The Northern Tourist. 

As an advocate of public improvements Mr. Davi- 
son, as alluded to in a former chapter, took an early 
interest in railroads. His success with the Saratoga 
and Schenectady Railroad encouraged him to go for- 
ward with the project for the Utica and Schenectady 



RAILROADS AND WATER-WORKS. 



317 



Railroad, of which he became the Commissioner of 
Construction, succeeding in that office the late ex- 
Governor Bouck. 

The next railroad that he initiated was the Saratoga 
and Whitehall. Mr. Davison was indefatigable in the 
collection of statistics of travel and business, and 
could prepare and lay them before the public in a 
concise shape. This aided materially in helping for- 
ward the lines he uas interested in. The charter for 
the Saratoga and Whitehall road being secured, the 
capital was subscribed and its construction began, but 
the crash of 1837 came on before it had made much 
progress, and its managers were forced to suspend 
operations ; but Mr. Davison never lost faith in it, 
and kept steadily at work until he had secured its con- 
struction, not, however, until many years had elapsed. 
The Sackett's Harbor and Saratoga Railroad was an- 
other avenue that he had to do with from its incep- 
tion, the first meeting on the subject having been held 
in his office, at his invitation, some time in 1847 or 
1848. He was a commissioner, in connection with 
Rockwell Putnam and N. B. Doe, of the village 
water-works in 1846, and had the principal charge of 
the work of construction. 

Mr. Davison's first wife died in April, 1861, and his 
second marriage, to Anna Miner, who survives him, 
took place in January, 1863. He leaves four children 
surviving, viz. : John M. Davison, for many years 
Register in Chancery, and afterwards President of the 



2^3 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

Saratoga and Whitehall Railroad, residing in Sara- 
toga ; Clement M. Davison, a banker in Detroit : 
Charles Augustus Davison, the well-known lawyer, of 
New York City; and Sarah M. Davison, his only 
daughter. He was a member of the Presbyterian 
church from an early date, was for many years the 
superintendent of the Sabbath-school, and, since 
1827 — a period of more than forty years — one of its 
ruling elders. He died on Thursday, October I, 1869, 
at the ripe age of seventy-eight. The following day 
a meeting of the prominent citizens of Saratoga was 
held, at which addresses were made by the late Judge 
Warren, Judge Bockes, Judge Lester, Patrick H. 
Cowen, and others, and resolutions adopted eulo- 
gizing the public achievements and private virtues of 
the deceased. At the funeral, which took place the 
following Tuesday, Rev. Dr. Woodbridge delivered a 
feeling address ; and while the cortege was moving to 
the grave, all the places of business on Broadway 
were closed, the bells of the Presbyterian, Baptist, 
and Roman. Catholic churches being tolled. 

Mr. Davison was a man of plain and unassuming 
manners, and extremely courteous and gentlemanly 
in his intercourse with others, of whatever position in 
life. Always ready to listen to suggestions, he formed 
his opinions with care and then urged them with force. 
He was, moreover, a man of spotless purity and in- 
tegrity of character. No stain, professional or per- 
sonal, ever attached to his fair name, and whatever 



MR. DAVISON'S INTEGRITY, 



319 



interests were devolved upon him were discharcred 
with scrupulous fidelity. He was ever liberal and 
generous to the deserving and unfortunate, and not 
unfrequently disbursed charity by the hands of others 
that the source of the favor might remain unknown. 
To young men, also, his wise counsel and ready assist- 
ance were of material benefit. He was, especially, 
eminently conscientious in the administration of the 
public trusts which were from time to time commit- 
ted to him ; and while his official position afforded 
him abundant opportunities for accumulating a for- 
tune, had he been disposed to take advantage of 
it, it can be safely said that never in a single in- 
stance did he avail himself of any position of trust to 
improve or better himself. Mr. Davison was very 
just also in all his dealings with his fellow-men. It 
was a noticeable trait of his life that he was very care- 
ful to meet his obligations with promptitude, and 
this was especially marked in the little matters which 
belong to domestic life. No workman or employ^ 
was ever asked to call a second time for payment of 
his bill. Mr. Davison understood and appreciated 
fully the value of time to such men, and he felt that 
it was doinsf a wron^r to men who had rendered him a 
service of any sbrt to subject them to loss of time in 
endeavoring to collect what was their just due. We 
mention this as a trait in Mr. Davison's character, 
marking his sense of justice and his thoughtful con- 
sideration for others. As illustrative of Mr. Davison's 



320 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



accuracy in business matters, as well as his perfect in- 
tegrity, it may be stated that, on the conclusion of his 
connection with the Utica and Schenectady Railroad 
Company, after having received and disbursed the 
large sums involved in the construction of the road, 
upon an adjustment of his accounts with the treasurer 
of the company, it was found that they were in per- 
fect accord, with the exception of a trifling sum, less, 
we believe, than six cents ! In view of these traits of 
character, and his long and useful life, it is certain 
that his memory will be long and reverently cher- 
ished. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Rev. John D. Mo?-iariy. 

"A plain good man, without guile or pride, 
Goodness his aim, and honesty his guide, 
Could all the pomps of this vain world despise, 
And only after death desired to rise." 

REV. JOHN D. MORIARTY— or, as he was 
familiarly called, "Father Moriarty" — the 
father of Mrs. Henry H. Hathorn and of Mrs. 
Crawford — himself a Methodist minister, and the son 
of a Methodist minister — occupied for a long series 
of years so prominent a position both as a citizen of 
Saratoga Springs and as a member of the Methodist 
denomination, that a sketch of his life in this volume 
seems peculiarly appropriate. 

Rev. Mr. Moriarty came to Saratoga in 1831. Pre- 
vious, however, to this period, he had been forced by 
chronic rheumatism to abandon the active duties of 
the ministry, and, on this account, had been made a 
*' superannuate." Indeed, to such a state was he 
reduced by this physical infirmity, that on first com- 
ing to the Springs, he was carried to and from church 
in a chair, and was accustomed to preach in a sitting 
posture. Yet, notwithstanding this disability, the 
universal testimony is that no one ever exercised a 

321 



322 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



better or a more enduring influence in the Methodist 
denomination than himself, 

Mr. Moriarty came to the village from the " Still- 
water Circuit," which then embraced Stillwater, Old 
Saratoga, Wilton, Greenfield, Malta, and Saratoga 
Springs, all of Avhich towns belonged to the New 
York Conference, then extending to the Canada line. 
On his first arrival he opened a boarding-house, as 
being at that time the likeliest means of affording 
himself and family a support. This " boarding-house," 
however, soon grew into a large hotel ; for the Metho- 
dist interest being large and influential, and Mr. Mo- 
riarty the most accommodating of hosts, every visitor 
of that persuasion flocked to it. Thus it happened 
that for many years Mr. Moriarty's was the head- 
quarters of the Methodists, as '' Union Hall," under 
the proprietorship of the brothers Rockwell and 
Washington Putnam, was that of the Presbyterians 
and Congregationalists. 

The gentleman who furnishes these facts — an old 
and highly-respected resident of Saratoga and one, 
moreover, who is thoroughly competent to judge, 
viz., J. B. Fellshaw — estimates his preaching talent as 
greatly above the average. " I sat under his preach- 
ing for many years," writes Mr. Fellshaw to the 
author, '' and during that time I never heard him 
preach a poor sermon." He possessed, also, strong 
common sense and good administrative ability, and it 
was entirely owing to his provident efforts that the 



^m 



RECEIVES THE APPOINTMENT. 32^ 



site where stood the late Methodist church was 
secured to that society. Indeed, it may be safely 
said that whatever increase of strength accrued at 
that time to the Methodist church at Saratoga 
Springs — a strength which is to this day felt in the 
vitality and power of that body — was due solely, 
under God, to the shrewd and successful management 
of '' Father Moriarty." 

Nor was it long before his sterling qualities and 
helpful care of the interests of the society were 
recognized. Two years subsequent to his making 
Saratoga his home, he was given the '' appointment " 
for a support, and this, too, in addition to his allow- 
ance as a '' superannuate " or disabled preacher. His 
broad, catholic views, and enlarged and comprehen- 
sive ideas, so utterly opposed to sectarianism, made 
him very acceptable to other congregations in the 
village ; and accordingly he frequently exchanged 
with Revs. Mr. Griswold and Mr. Fletcher, the pas- 
tors, respectively, of the Presbyterian and Baptist 
denominations. Indeed, having recovered from his 
rheumatism, he served the former church one entire 
winter in their temporary quarters in '' Walton Row." 

Mr. Moriarty was wonderfully methodical in busi- 
ness ; constant in his religious duties— always at 
church service when he could possibly be there, and 
extremely regular in family worship. He had few, 
if any, enemies ; and was ever considered reliable in 
business transactions, simply because he never de- 



324 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



viated from his word. His wife, also, was a devoted 
Christian, and possessed of decided executive ability. 
Therefore, while, like Martha, " she loved her Lord," 
she was not like her in being " careful and troubled 
about many things." A zealous worker in her " Mas- 
ter's vineyard," she labored effectively in strengthen- 
ing the secular affairs of her husband — enduring much 
and protracted labor — often, during the busy season, 
rising at four and retiring at eleven o'clock. They, 
together, reared a large family (six daughters and two 
sons), and are among those who have left their im- 
print for good and sound morality on the community. 
" Being dead, they yet live." 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Captam Stephen Dexter. 

" A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. Where be your jibes now ? 
your gambols ? your songs ? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the 
table on a roar? " 

" Jaq, — Is not this a rare fellow ? he's good at anything. 

" Duke S. — He uses his fun like a stalking-horse, and under the presentation of 
that he shoots his wit." — Shakspere. 

ALLUSION has been made in several ot tne pre- 
ceding chapters to Captain Stephen Dexter, 
who died in 1869, at the ripe age of seventy-five 
years. Captain Dexter, however, was for so many 
years a resident of Saratoga, and his early associa- 
tions of so peculiar and interesting a character, that 
a more minute sketch of him may possess interest to 
those, at least, who from youth have come to regard 
Captain Dexter as identified with the village of Sara- 
toga Springs. 

Captain Dexter began life as a stage-driver, in or 
near the village of Herkimer, and was accustomed to 
relate many curious incidents of the old times when 
stage-coaches were the only public conveyance. It 
Avas in the days of the Great Turnpike from Albany 
to Buffalo; and the same kind of vehicles which Jason 
Parker started in 1794, and continued to use as late as 

325 



326 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 




1820. A Specimen of these coaches — similar to those 
that Dexter drove at this time — is here presented 
for the benefit of TARKEH'i 

the curious reader. ■ Jl^ J| StagC, 
The driver seen -a t-s-ww^-h- ^^ -i^*^^ y 

in the illustration From JVhinfiown to Canajoharrie 

evidently is not in- 
tended for the port- 
ly form of the Cap- 
tain ; at least, if it 
is so designed, he 
must when young 
have been an ex- 
tremely attenuated JASON PARKER, 
lad! ^Wfi-mS^ 8^' 

Captain Dexter was from the first distinguished by 
energy as well as shrewdness, and an enterprising 
spirit was the first element of his prosperity. In fact, 
it would almost seem as if S. C. Goodrich (Peter Par- 
ley) had the " Captain " in his mind when he wTote 
the following : " There was no corner, no secluded 
settlement, no out-of-the-way place where he was 
not seen. Bad roads never deterred him. He could 
drive his horses and coach where a four-wheeled 
vehicle never went before. He understood bearings 
and distances as well as a topographical engineer, 
and would go whistling contentedly through a forest 
where he had not even a * trail ' to guide him. He 
could find fords and crossings where none were pre- 



SKILL OF DEXTER AS A DRIVER. 337 



viously known to exist; and his pair of horses, by 
the skilful nianagement of their driver, would carry 
him and his passengers across sloughs and swamps 
where a steam-engine would have been brought to a 
stand by the weight of a baby-wagon. If he broke 
his harness or his wagon in the wilderness, he could 
repair it without assistance, for his mechanical skill 
extended from*the shoeing of a horse to the repair of 
a watch. He was never taken by surprise ; accidents 
never came unexpected, and strange events never dis- 
concerted him. He would whistle * Yankee Doodle' 
while his horses were floundering in a quagmire, and 
sing ' Hail Columbia ' while plunging into an unknown 
river. He never met a stranger, for he was intimately 
acquainted with a man as soon as he saw him. In- 
troductions were useless ceremonies to him, for he cared 
nothing about names. He called a woman ' ma'am ' 
and a man ' mister,' and if they were good company 
he would never trouble himself or them with imperti- 
nent enquiries. When he had passed through a set- 
tlement once, he had a complete knowledge of all 
its circumstances, history, and inhabitants ; and the 
next trip, if he met a child in the road, he could tell 
you whom it most resembled, and to what family it 
belonged. He recollected all who were sick on his 
last visit ; what peculiar difficulties each was laboring 
under, and was always glad to hear of their con- 
valescence. He gathered medicinal herbs along the 
road, and generously presented them to the house- 



328 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

wives when he halted, and he understood perfectly 
the special properties of each. He possessed also a 
great store of good advice, and distributed it with 
the disinterested benevolence of a philanthropist. 

'* Those were the days, moreover, of no * expresses ' 
and no general mails. The stage-driver was con- 
sequently not only called upon to execute commis- 
sions for the farmers' wives at the stores in Albany, 
but he was also the universal news-carrier, and was 
supposed to be able, and expected to tell all about 
the movements of the whole world. He knew of 
every death, marriage, and birth within a hundred 
miles. He recollected the precise piece of calico 
from which Mrs. Jones bought her last new dress, 
and the veritable bit of lace with which Mrs. Smith 
trimmed her * Sunday-go-to-meeting ' bonnet. He 
knew, also, whose children went to meeting in ' store- 
clothes,' whose daughter was just putting on long 
dresses, and whose wife wore cotton stockings. He 
would laugh the husband into half a dozen shirts, 
flatter the wife into calico and gingham, and praise 
the children till both parents joined in dressing them 
anew from top to toe. What wonder is it, then, if he 
was a prime favorite with all the women, or that the 
appearance of himself and stage was a day of jubilee 
to both parents and children ? " 

But the stage-driver, like every other human institu- 
tion, had his day, and the time soon came when he 
was forced to give way to the march of improvement. 



COMES TO SARATOGA. 



329 



The country in Central New York grew densely 
populated, till shortly the smoke of one man's chim- 
ney could be seen from another's front door. People's 
wants began to be paramount — they were no longer 
content with transient supplies — they demanded 
something more constant and regular. Hence arose 
the little neighborhood stores, established at a central 
point, usually at a " cross-road," and these gradually 
superseded the stage-driver's function. 

Such was the state of things when, about 1824, 
Captain Dexter left his old route and took a position 
under General Blanchard,* as driver on the old " Red- 
Bird " line of stages then running between Saratoga 
and Schenectady ; and it was with no little pride that 
he was wont to tell how he drove the first coach-load 
of passengers up to the '* United States Hotel," when 
it was opened, and how he always retained the friend- 
ship of Mr. LeRoy, of New York, who was one of 
the passengers in that coach. On the opening of the 

* General Joshua T. Blanchard was bom In 1801, at Alexander, New Hampshire. 
He was named after his maternal grandfather, Joshua Tolford, one of the largest land- 
holders in the States. His father was Dr. Ahimaz Blanchard, of Brisiiica. Mass. 
He came to Saratoga in 1820, and has resided here ever since. He was here in the 
days of Graudus Schronhoven and Samuel Drake, of Congress Hall. General Blan- 
chard has, in his lifetime, been on terms of intimate acquaintance with many of our 
most distinguished men He is still in a green old age, and is wont to relate the fol- 
lowing anecdote of General Scott. The year before Scott's nomination, he was at 
Saratoga, and in the course of conversation General Blanchard said: "General, 
you had best injure your right arm in some way and hang it in a sling so you cannot 
•write any letters." Scott, however, disregarding the advice of his old friend, wrote 
the " Hasty Plate of Soup Letter," and was defeated. The next year, meeting Gene- 
ral Blanchard, he said : " General, it would have been weU for me to have taken your 
advice." 



330 



REiMimSCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad, and the conse- 
quent withdrawal of the stage line in 1832, he took a 
situation on the Utica and Schenectady Railroad. 
After a {q\v years' service he returned to Saratoga and 
settled down in the livery business, which he con- 
tinued successfully for nearly forty years. His son, 
William E., now walks in his father's steps — a repu- 
table and respected citizen."^ 

Captain Dexter's youth, as has been stated, was 
passed in the County of Herkimer, in the beautiful 
valley of the Mohawk. His early playmates and 
school-fellows were Thurlow Weed, the venerable 
Theodore Faxon of Utica, the late James R. West- 
cott of Saratoga, Col. John H. Prentiss of the 
Cooperstown Freeman s jfojcrnal, and Col. William 
L. Stone, of the New York Commercial Advertiser. 
With all of these persons — although circumstances 
threw him into a different sphere of life — his rela- 
tions were ever of a very pleasant nature ; and most 
fortunate was that visitor who, having secured the 
services of the Captain for a drive, listened to the 
reminiscences of personal adventure and frolic with 
these distinguished men in boyhood. Many a time 
has Captain Dexter overthrown the late John H. 
Prentiss in a wrestling match ; frequently, under 



* Thurlow Weed, writing in 1875, says : " I remember when a lumbering stage 
wagon, with canvas covering, running between Albany and Utica every other day, 
accommodated all the passengers between Albany and the far West. At that time 
there was no Syracuse, no Rochester.' 



ANECDOTE OF DEXTER. 



331 



General Morell, and side by side with Jason Parker, 
has he performed mihtia duty (hence his title) with 

" Those gallant sons who shoulder guns, 
And twice a year go out a training — " 

armed with sticks, or, in default of those, with 
corn-stalks. Once Col. Prentiss and himself, re- 
turning from a husking-bee, fell through a hole in 
the decayed flooring of an old bridge across the 
Mohawk; and narrowly escaped with their lives; 
Thurlow Weed and Col. Stone, who were behind, 
guiding them with rails torn off the bridge to the 
shore. It was also Captain Dexter's custom often to 
run into the office of the Herkimer AmcTtcan (then 
edited by Col. Stone) and assist Mr. Weed (who was 
employed as apprentice) in pulling the presses and 
setting type. One incident is worthy of note. 

Mr. Weed was at this time a Democrat. It hap- 
pened that just before an election — there being no 
Democratic printing-press within several miles — Mr. 
Weed asked of his employer, Col. Stone, the privi- 
lege of using his press to strike off the Democratic 
tickets. This was good-humoredly granted by tlie 
Federalist editor, and the entire night was spent by 
the Democratic journeyman, assisted by Captain 
Dexter, in striking off tickets and hand-bills. Mr. 
Weed was paid for his night's work five dollars, 
which, as he often remarks with pardonable pride, 
was the first five dollars he had ever earned. 



332 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Whether he shared that sum with the Captain I 
have never enquired, but the probability is that some 
of the fruits were reaped by his assistant. 

Captain Dexter possessed an extremely genial 
disposition, and, as I have stated, retained in a 
remarkable degree the affections of those who had 
outrun him in the race for worldly emolument and 
fame. The writer, who chanced to be present, well 
remembers the parting at the old depot between 
Captain Dexter and Mr. Weed on the occasion of the 
latter's departure from Saratoga in the summer of 
1868. Mr. Weed is, as is well known, strong in his 
friendships, particularly those of his early youth ; and 
as the Captain accompanied the old playfellow of his 
boyhood to the steps of the car, and shook his hand 
in farewell, tears stood in the eyes of each. Both 
seemed to feel that their parting was the last. Nor 
was it Mr. Weed alone who, on his return to Sara- 
toga, missed the outstretched hand, and friendly 
grasp, and merry twinkle of the old Captain. Many 
of the old visitors, as they emerged from the cars on 
their return to Saratoga, have instinctly felt that the 
Saratoga of the present was not the Saratoga of the 
past ; and, although they might not be able for the 
nonce to account for the feeling, yet if they chanced 
to learn of the Captain's death they at once traced in 
that fact the cause. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Chancellor Walworth and Pine Grove, 

*' Whom do we count a good man ? Whom but he 
Who keeps the laws and statutes of the senate, 
Who judges in great suits and controversies, 
Whose witness and opinion wins the case ? " 

— Milto7is translation of Horace. 

/^N the corner of Broadway and Van Dam Street, 
^^^ fronting on the former and facing east, stands 
the old homestead of the Walworth family, embo- 
somed in a grove of stately pines. In giving a sketch 
of this place, and of the distinguished man who was 
its owner and occupant for more than half a century, 
I shall aim at neither a biography nor a panegyric, 
but such a description of the man and the mansion 
as belongs naturally to the reminiscences and tradi- 
tions of Saratoga. 

Reuben Hyde Walworth was born on the 26th 
of October, 1788, in Bozrah, Ct. He was the third 
son of Benjamin Walworth, of the town of Hoosick, 
Rensselaer County, N. Y. His father removed to 
Hoosick during the Chancellor's early childhood, and 
resided there until his death. The family was 
originally of London, England, the American branch 
deriving from William Walworth, who emigrated 

333 



\ 



334 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



from that city in 1671, and settled on Fisher's Island, 
and afterwards in New London. In the early part 
of the Revolutionary war, Benjamin Walworth was 
quartermaster of Colonel Nicholl's New York regi- 
ment in the service of the United States, and acted 
as adjutant of the regiment at the battle of White 
Plains. It is related as an interesting fact, showing 
the rapid growth of cities in America, that, at one 
time, when seeking for an eligible site to erect a mill, 
the entire tract of land now occupied by the City of 
Troy was offered to the father of the Chancellor, and 
to his business partner, Philip Hart, for the sum 
of $2,cxx), which Avas not accepted. 

Reuben H. Walworth settled at Plattsburg, Clinton 
County, in January, 18 10. Here he married his first 
wife, and here he practised law for many years, hold- 
ing various offices in the county, and representing his 
district in Congress from 1821 to 1823. Mrs. Wal- 
worth used to relate that while at Washington it hap- 
pened on one occasion, when her husband was visited 
at his boarding-house by Henry Clay, that the two 
gentlemen remained for a long time closeted in pri- 
vate conversation. She and her aunt, who were left 
in an adjoining apartment, had formed their own 
opinion of the great men about the capital, and were 
no admirers of that distinguished Senator. They in- 
dulged themselves therefore in expressing their un- 
favorable opinion of him, saying that they were sure 
he came there for no good purpose, and hoping 



MOVES TO SARATOGA. -.- 



that Mr. Walworth would not allow himself to be 
taken in by his witty tongue, etc., etc. To their 
confusion, the latter soon opened the door, and said : 
'' Ladies, your conversation is no doubt very in- 
teresting to yourselves, but it is well for you to know 
that the partition is very thin, and that Mr. Clay 
hears every word you say." 

By this first wife the Chancellor had six children, 
of which the oldest four are still living. His three 
surviving daughters all married young, and have 
large families ; and of his two sons the younger, 
now deceased, has five surviving children, including 
two boys, the only grandsons left that bear the 
grandfather's name. 

At the invasion of Plattsburg by the British army 
in September, 1814, Mr. Walworth was aid to Major- 
General Mooers in the United States service ; and 
it was his good fortune to witness McDonough's 
battle and victory on the lake, being deputed to 
watch the contest from the shore, and report the 
issue to his chief. The house in which he resided 
for many years was occupied by the British during 
their short stay in Plattsburg, as an hospital, and 
bears the marks of bullets to this day. In April, 
1823, he was appointed Circuit Judge of the Fourth 
Judicial District, which office he held for five years. 
In October of the same year he removed to Sara- 
toga Springs. He was received there with groat 
hospitality by his life-long friend, Gideon M. Davison, 



336 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

who gave lodging and entertainment to him and 
his family until his own residence was put in order 
to receive him. 

The old Walworth place was purchased at that 
time of Judge Walton, its first occupant and builder, 
for the small sum of $2,000. In those early days it 
was a much more secluded place, and exceedingly 
beautiful. The railroad then had not divided it, and 
a delightful wood that bounded it on the rear ex- 
tended far back beyond Matilda Street to the Water- 
bury farm and orchard. Almost the entire block op- 
posite the Chancellor's was used as a public ground, 
and was a favorite resort both for guests and villagers, 
It was called the " Pine Grove," and was traversed by 
fine walks. One very spacious walk was the usual 
means of transit by foot from the "■ Upper Village,'* 
or north end of Van Dam Street to lower Broadway. 
Broadway itself extended no farther back than Rock 
Street, the woods heading it off at that point. The 
aforesaid " Grove " enclosed a tenpin alley, which 
was, if memory serves me right, the only alley of the 
village, and was much resorted to. Swings hung 
down between the tall pines, which in warm and fair 
weather were in almost constant motion. Here 
sometimes the Indians encamped, sold their bows, 
canes, and baskets, and shot at pennies to show 
their skill ; and here, too, the militia often met for 
drill on " training days," *' armed and equipped as 
the law directs," with muskets, rifles, fowling-pieces, 



PATRIOTIC AND MASONIC. -iyj 



or in lieu of these with umbrellas, canes, or broom- 
sticks. 

Opposite the Chancellor's on Broadway, and just 
outside the wooden fence which enclosed the Grove, 
the Fourth-of-July gun was sometimes placed, divid- 
ing this honor with Congress Hall. On such occa- 
sions Primus Budd, a princely mulatto, presided 
over this battery of one gun. A planet of the first 
class was he on Independence Day, and, like Saturn, 
carried his rings with him. The boys considered 
*' Prime " as something superior to the Chancellor, or 
to any of the dignitaries of the village. It so hap- 
pened that the authorities conceived it possible to 
manage this gun without Primus. The consequence 
was that three human arms were blown off by a pre- 
mature discharge, and the ramrod passing Grove 
Street, alighted near the corner of Church. " Next 
time," said Primus, '' I guess dey'U know enough to 
give public business to 'sponsible persons." 

At the north west corner of this same grove resided 
also Mr. Peterson, occupying a small wooden house 
with a snialler candy-shop adjoining. He was a nota- 
ble man, and, like Primus, had his days of glory. 
Whenever the masons turned out, his portly person 
was sure to be seen in full regalia, with a cozam nobis 
so prominent that the little apron stood out in front 
horizontally. At Masonic funerals he carried a large 
Bible, and it rested on the said prominence as easily 
as on a pulpit cushion. Alas I how fortunes vary! 



338 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

With its grove and visitors, that supported the 
old man's modest merchandise, the house and the 
shop have both disappeared, and the ground whereon 
they stood has been absorbed into the Willoughby 
estate. What became of poor Peterson no one 
knows — whether expanded indefinitely or become 
absorbed also ; probably the former, for his tendency 
was that way. 

The entire space occupied by these pleasure 
grounds has long since given place to private resi- 
dences, and the name of " Pine Grove " remains at- 
tached to the Walworth homestead opposite, being 
indeed originally a patch of the same ground. 

Judge Walworth presided in his circuit until 1828, 
when he was appointed Chancellor of the State of 
New York. This office he held for twenty years, 
when the new constitution of 1848 abolished the 
Court of Chancery. In 1828 he removed to Albany, 
occupying first a house in Park Place, near the Aca- 
demy, and afterwards a house in Washington Avenue 
above Dove Street, the present residence of Amasa 
J. Parker, Esq. In the spring of 1833 he returned to 
Saratoga Springs, and to Pine Grove, where he con- 
tinued to reside until his death. 

Mrs. Walworth, his first wife, whose maiden name 
was Maria Ketchum Averill, was a lady of singular 
sweetness and benevolence of character. Together 
with her husband she united herself with the Presby- 
terian church at the time of their marriage, to which 



A HEROIC LADY. ^^^ 



communion she always remained attached. Of a 
truly devoted and unaffected piety, she was gentle 
and pliable in everything except where conscience 
was concerned — there she was immovable as a rock. 
She delighted to be among the poor and sick, and her 
love for little children was unbounded. Not an ur- 
chin in the village, however ragged, whether white or 
black, but " knew her like a book," and felt thorough- 
ly at home with her. Indeed, she was greatly be- 
loved by all classes, old or young. 

Every one in Saratoga knows, or knew, Dexter, the 
livery-stable man, whose large frame and venerable 
white head were to be seen for so many years in front 
of the United States Hotel. There, in the summer 
season, from morning until sunset, he kept under one 
of the trees a chair for his own exclusive use. Never 
any one was known to sit in that chair but himself. 
Napoleon could cross the Alps with his artillery, but 
he never would have attempted to sit in Dexter's 
chair. No one ever suspected him of being soft or 
sentimental. But I particularly remember that the 
good old man idolized the memory of Mrs. Walworth, 
and never could speak of her without the tears coming 
to his eyes. 

Gentle and amiable as this lady was, she had. when 
occasion called for it, a courage and resolution that 
amounted to heroism. On one occasion, in the early 
days of her residence at the Springs, a drunken 
aboriginal from the Indian encampment opposite 



340 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



entered the kitchen and demanded cider. This was 
before the total abstinence days, and the Chancellor's 
cellar was well stocked both with wine and cider. 
The cook, thinking he had already enough, refused 
to give him any, whereupon he drew his knife and 
threatened to kill her. Mrs. Walworth chanced to 
enter the kitchen at this moment, and comprehending 
the whole situation at a glance, seized the tongs, 
which she laid about his head vigorously, and drove 
him out of the house. Mrs. Walworth died at Pine 
Grove, on the 24th of April, 1847, surrounded by the 
devoted members of her family. As Christian, wife, 
mother, friend, and neighbor, a model in every rela- 
tion of life, her memory is still tenderly cherished in 
the locality where she lived so long, loved and was 
beloved. 

Pine Grove : Its Distinguished Visitors. 

The *- Pine Grove " was for a long period of years 
a much-frequented place. Few residences in the 
land have seen more of the great celebrities of the 
country, especially of her distinguished jurists and 
statesmen. It has known Daniel D. Tompkins, De 
Witt Clinton, Martin Van Buren, Enos T. Throop, 
Silas Wright, Churchill C. Cambreling, William L. 
Marcy, Albert H. Tracy, Francis Granger, William H. 
Seward, Stephen A. Douglas, Millard Fillmore, James 
Buchanan, Chancellor Kent, Judge Story, Judge Grier, 



I 



GUESTS AT PINE GROVE. ^ai 



Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, Wil- 
liam L. Stone, Catharine Sedgwick, Mrs. Sigourney, 
Edward C. Delavan, Gerrit Smith, Generals Scott, 
Wool, Worth, Gottschalk the pianist, and a host of 
others, Governors, Senators, and Congressmen, cele- 
brated authors and soldiers, who have chatted in its 
parlors, dined at its table, and walked about under 
the shade of its pines. The Chancellor never forgot 
an acquaintance, and was fond of bringing every one 
to his house. Every morning during the summer 
season he looked carefully over the list of arrivals 
at the hotels, and hastened to call on ever)- one he 
knew. The Grove has known the portly form of 
Joseph Bonaparte in tights, and the squat figure 
of Mar Yohannan in multitudinous folds of cloth. 

Clergymen always found a welcome there, whatever 
their type of faith or form of worship. Its traditions 
array such names as Eliphalet Nott, Lyman Beecher, 
William B. Sprague, George W. Bethune, Samuel H. 
Cox, Francis Wayland. James Milner, Archbishops 
Hughes, McCloskey, Purcell, Kenrick, and Spalding, 
Cardinal Bedini, and Bishop Alonzo Potter. Metho- 
dist Bishops have visited there whose names I 
do not know, and at a very early date a Catholic 
bishop from Canada, in quaint knee-breeches and 
large buckled shoes, whose zeal in the cause of tem- 
perance brought him in connection with the Chan- 
cellor. Thither also came, at various times, innumer- 
able missionaries from foreign parts, and now and 



342 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



then a russet-coated elder from the Shaker settle- 
ments. 

« 

Lewis J. Papineau, Dr. E. B. O'Callaghan, and Mar- 
shall S. Bidwell, exiled from Canada by the unsuc- 
cessful rebellion of 1837, found here a hearty welcome, 
and always remained on terms of the most intimate 
friendship with the Chancellor. It is said that the 
first named of these illustrious exiles, after his preci- 
pitate escape from Canada, was found friendless and 
unknown in the city of Albany, by James Porter, 
Esq., at that time Register in Chancery, w^ho took 
him to his house. Here the Chancellor made his 
acquaintance, and carried him to Saratoga. Mrs. 
Papineau and her children were entertained for some 
time at Pine Grove, and a son, L. J. A. Papineau, was 
an inmate there for two years. 

The front room in the north wing was the Chancel- 
lor's office for forty-three years. Any one passing the 
house, or entering by the north piazza, might see him 
hard at work throughout the day, and his lamp was 
burning there still until two, three, and often four 
o'clock in the morning. His constitution was of iron, 
and his capacity for labor was enormous, and yet he 
loved recreation, and no man could enjoy society bet- 
ter. He loved to spend the hours of evening with 
his family at games of chess, backgammon, or whist, 
or in lively conversation, until all the rest had retired 
to bed, when he returned to his office, and to his soli- 
tary labors of the night. From these habits it may 



A CLERICAL ACROBAT. -iA-l 



easily be inferred that he was not an early riser. And 
yet he often rose early in the summer-time, when the 
Congress Spring was crowded with visitors, and the 
desire to meet his friends would bring him there 
among the rest. 

He was a great talker and a most lively one, and 
when a good story was told by himself or others, 
would throw his head forward, rub his hands toerether, 
and laugh until the walls rang again. He never stood 
upon his dignity, but was always ready for any fun, 
even to the latest years of his life. He had been a 
notable jumper in his youthful days, and once even as 
late as 1835, when Judge Nelson (late of the United 
States bench), John A. Collyer, the late Attorney- 
General, Benj. F. Butler, of New York, and other 
like grave gentlemen of the Bar and Legislature were 
enjoying themselves together, he challenged them to 
show their agility by leaping over the parlor chairs, 
and set the example himself. They were all wild 
enough at the time, but wisely declined this chal- 
lenge. Less discretion was manifested on another oc- 
casion by a young Presbyterian divine, who was 
preaching on trial in the village at the time, and was 
seduced into a trial of his legs at the Grove. A 
clothes-line was stretched at a good height between 
two trees, which the Chancellor easily cleared with a 
running leao. Divinity was not so successful. He 
landed astride of the line, and after an extremely 
awkward gyration went most ignominiously to grass. 



344 



REMIXISCEXCES OF SARATOGA. 



The piety of the bystanders was no great check upon 
their merriment, some laughing in hearty bass and 
some in high soprano. 

In the same " office" aforesaid the Chancellor held 
his '' motion courts." This was not only a conve- 
nience for himself, but generally agreeable to the 
members of the bar. By going there, instead of to 
Albany, they were able to combine a little business 
with a trip to the Springs. A wood-box being cov- 
ered with a carpet, an arm-chair was placed upon it, 
and a high, light, long-legged desk before it, and the 
little office was thus converted into a court-room. 
Here, during a long course of years, distinguished 
counsel came to make, defend, and argue motions in 
chancery. Hither came Ambrose Spencer, Chief-Jus- 
tice of New York; John C. Spencer, Joshua Spencer, 
Charles O'Conor, Samuel Stevens, Mark Reynolds, 
Benj. F, Butler of New York ; Daniel Lord, Wm. 
H. Seward, David Graham, and many other men of 
equal mark, though of a later generation. Here once 
William Kent and George Griffin were pitted against 
Daniel Webster, in some case involving the Illinois 
State bonds, which crowded the room, piazza, and 
sidewalk with anxious listeners, until out of considera- 
tion for these the Chancellor adjourned to the Uni- 
versalist church."^ *' This cause does not end here," 



* Now a private residence, owned and occupied by a daughter of the late Daniel T. 
Reed. Mr. Reed, who died on May 6, 1875, was, with the exception of Mr. and Mrs 
Jewell, the oldest resident of Saratoga. He was a native of Washington County, and 



A MYSTERIOUS RAP. , , - 

34:) 



said Griffin, in a tragic tone of voice ; *' we shall meet 
again at Philippi." ''Ay!" replied Webster, with a 
grim humor that convulsed the audience ; " the learned 
counsel will meet us again at Philippi, but will they 
pay us when we get there ? " 

Here the celebrated Spike case dragged its slow 
length along for many years, in which nearly all the 
great lawyers of the land had a finger. It was a refer- 
ence case, which the Chancellor undertook after the 
abolition of his office. The original suit was brought 
in the United States Court for the infringement of a 
patented right to give a peculiar rap to the head of a 
railroad spike in the process of its formation ; and the 
question before the referee was to ascertain the in- 
creased profits of a party of manufacturers (Winslow, 
Corning & Co.) so rapping as aforesaid, and the con- 
sequent damages to the other party (Burden & Co.) 
having the exclusive right so to rap as aforesaid. 
Mrs. Walworth once in conversation with Governor 
Seward said: ''I v/ish you would explain what this 
everlasting Spike suit is about. I don't understand 



was born in the year 1785. About the year 1S24 he removed to this village and pur- 
chased the lot on which the late Judge W. L, F. Warren's house now stands, on the 
comer of Broadway and Church Street, on which he erected a hotel. Two years later 
it was burned, and he purchased the Franklin House on Church Street, and enlarged 
. and repaired it. He kept this house for about thirty years, and then sold it to Deacon 
Brintnall. He then built the house on Matilda Street standing on the corner of the 
railroad, and resided there a few years. He next purchased the Univcrsalibt church 
building, ou the corner of Church and Matilda Streets, and converted it into the 
boarding-house which was kept by him, in connection with his daughter, until his 
death. 



346 REMIXISCEXCES OF SARATOGA. 

it." ** Indeed, madam," he replied, " I should be very 
much ashamed if you did. I have been engaged in it 
for several years and I don't understand it yet." 

To this same office came the new aspirants to chan- 
cery practice, and signed their names to the roll of 
counsellors. This was a veritable roll made of strong 
parchment, piece added to piece as the list increased. 
It holds the names of almost all the distinguished 
lawyers of New York now living. It is at present in 
the possession of William A. Beach, a resident of 
New York City, but a native of Saratoga, and one of 
the honored names on the roll. 

Peculiar Professional Traits. 

Chancellor Walworth may justly be regarded as the 
great artisan of our equity laws. In some sense 
he was the Bentham of America, without the bold 
speculations and fantastical theories which, to a cer- 
tain extent, characterized the great British jurist. 
What Bentham did in removing defects in English 
jurisprudence, Walworth did in renovating and sim- 
plifying the equity laws of the United States. 

Before his day, the Court of Chancery in this State 
was a tribunal of illy-defined powers — of uncertain 
jurisdiction, in a measure subservient to the English 
Court of Chancery in its procedure. Chancellor 
Walworth abolished much of that subtlety — many of 
those prolix and bewildering formalities which had 



IN CHANCERY. ^.^ 



their origin in the recesses of the mediaeval ages. 
He reduced the practice of his court to certain stand, 
ing rules, which he prepared with great industry. 
These rules greatly improved the old system of 
equity practice, and though he has been charged with 
thus complicating the Court of Chancery with expen- 
sive machinery, it cannot be gainsaid that with Chan- 
cellor Walworth equity was the soul and spirit of law, 
*' creating positive and defining rational law, flexible 
in its nature, and suited to the fortunes, cases, and 
reciprocal obligations of men." * 

It scarcely, however, belongs to a sketch of this 
kind to dwell upon the legal acquirements, the judicial 
character, or the public reputation of Chancellor Wal- 
worth. But certain peculiarities which he had when 
presiding in court were as well known to his fellow- 
villagers as they were familiar to the lawyers who 
frequented his little forum at the Grove, and may be 
considered as local reminiscences. 

In endeavoring to master the points of a case he 
had a method of his own, and it was necessary for 
counsel to conform to it in their arguments. Those 
who frequented his court soon learned to humor him 
in this respect ; but strangers were often annoyed by 
his interruptions and contradictions. He wanted to 
make up a sort of brief for his own use at the very 



* The contents of fourteen volumes of Paige's Chancery Re/i.^rts, and a large 
part of the matter compnsing the contents of the thirty-six volumes of IVtndeil 
and Denio's Reports, attest his vast judicial labors. 



348 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



beo-inninsf, and in making; this he put the counsel to 
his catechism. He required, not only the names of 
the parties and the general nature of the cause or 
motion, but the peculiar character of each one's in- 
terest, and the main points at issue, clearly stated, 
before he would listen to any argument, or to any 
rhetorical preambles. These preliminaries being ar- 
ranged to his satisfaction, he would lay up his pen 
over his ear, push back his chair, put his thumbs into 
the armholes of his vest, and then, and not before 
then, the counsel might proceed without interruption. 
But woe to the unlucky man who accepted papers for 
a motion, however simple, without taking time to 
read and prepare for it, trusting to be allowed to 
begin by reading the affidavits ! And woe to any 
one who, having no legal ground to stand upon, 
looked fondly for time and grace to make the mere 
show of a good fight ! Time, indeed, he sometimes 
got, but only the time in which to be fearfully and 
wonderfully badgered. 

A noted lawyer of Brooklyn once, after reading his 
affidavits, was endeavoring to enter upon his argu- 
ment in support of a motion. But the Chancellor 
was not satisfied. " I think," he said, *' that Widow 
Van Bummel ought to be heard from in this matter." 
*' Indeed, your Honor," replied the counsel, "■ I do 
not see how the Widow Van Bummel can have any 
possible interest in the motion." He endeavored to 
proceed, but was soon interrupted again, "■ I should 



WARDS IN CHANCERY. ^ .g 



like to know what the Widow Van Bummel has to 
say." After a hard contest for Hborty to proceed, 
despairing at last of success, the counsel began tying 
up his papers again, and said testily: " Well, your 
Honor, I will hunt up this Widow Van Bummel, and 
see if she has anything to say ; and if there is any 
other old woman in the United States, or elsewhere, 
that your Honor would like to see, 1 will bring her 
into court." 

All widows and orphans in the State were wards 
of the Court of Chancery. The Chancellor construed 
this tutelage in the most simple sense, and acted 
accordingly. His wards had easy access to him with- 
out any formalities of red tape. He listened to their 
stories patiently, instituted enquiries after his own 
fashion, and often made some prompt order in their 
favor upon such informal application. The trustee 
of a young Albanian refused to let him travel in 
Europe, on the ground of its being a useless expense. 
The young man made complaint to the Chancellor in 
person, alleging that there was plenty of money, 
and that the desire was reasonable under the circum- 
stances. The Chancellor thought so too, and gave an 
order to that effect. A person of weak intellect, and 
who passed for 7ion compos mentis, had not been 
allowed to manage a large estate which he inherited 
from his father. This was represented to be a 
hardship. The Chancellor sent for him privately, 
conversed with him on business matters, and deem- 



350 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



ing that he had sufficient capacity to keep things 
together, put him promptly in possession of his 
property. No Barnacles of the Circumlocution Office 
stood on guard at '' Pine Grove."* 

The Chancellor was a great water-drinker. He 
always kept a pitcher of water and a glass on his 
desk, and the frequent passage of the glass back and 
forth from the desk to his lips was something won- 
derful. Governor Seward once astonished a party of 
gentlemen who were sitting at table after dinner, 

by asserting that Chancellor Walworth and 

(naming a celebrated statesman of New York) drank 
more brandy and water than any other two men 
in the State. It seemed a most unwarrantable attack 
on the former, who was well known as a total 
abstinence man and President of the American 
Temperance Union. The Governor soon explained 
that the Chancellor drank the water, and the other 
party the brandy. Zealous advocate of temperance 
as he was, his efforts in the cause were not always 
prosperous, as the following anecdote will show. 



* One is reminded by this trait of Chancellor Walworth of a well-authenticated 
anecdote related of Alexander Hamilton. On one occasion a client came to him 
stating that he had discovered a flaw in a will which left certain property to his 
wards. He accordingly hoped, by securing the services of Hamilton, to substantiate 
this defect, and thus secure the property for himself. Hamilton took the papers and 
told him to call the following day. Punctually the client was on hand. Hamilton 
then said he had examined the papers left with him, " You are now," also added 
Hamilton, " completely in my power, and if you do not at once deal justly by your 
orphan wards, I shall immediately take up this case and see that they are righted." 
His client, seeing himself thus caught in his own trap, made complete restitution. 



THE CHANCELLOR ON HORSEBACK, 331 



Riding once in the railway cars, when his vis-a-vis 
was a very corpulent and red-faced Assemblyman, 
he grew enthusiastic in praise of his own favorite 
drink. *' To my mind," said he, '' there is nothing in 
the world equal to pure cold water. Don't you 
think so?" '' No/' growled the other, " I don't care 

a for your pure cold water. It's poor stuff 

'* Why," insisted the Chancellor in surprise, " what 
objection can you have to cold water — pure cold 

water, understand me, sir?" '* D ! that's just 

what I object to," roared the uncompromising 
Assemblyman ; '' it don't make good beer." This 
for a time silenced our water-drinker ; but presently 
he remarked that most men were given to too much 
eating. *' If he only knew it, a man requires to eat 
very little, in order to sustain life and to be healthy." 
*' Well, yes," the other reluctantly admitted, "per- 
haps so ; but by George ! he wants a great deal of 
drink." His guns being now all spiked, the Chan- 
cellor gave it up. 

He was very fond of riding. He enjoyed a mettle- 
some animal, and loved to bring* such a one up 
to face a band of music, or the puffing of a locomo- 
tive. The oldest villagers will remember well a 
sorrel horse named " Araby," which he bestrode for 
many years and was, at the time he purchased 
him in 1834, or thereabouts, a perfect model of life 
and beauty. They will also remember a riding suit 
of homespun, not differing much from the horse 



352 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

in color. Both horse and homespun grew old in 
service, and gave him finally the appearance of a 
country farmer on a plough-horse. Mounted on 
the animal once of a summer morning, and wait- 
ing at the Congress Spring for a " dipper boy '* 
to bring him his glass of water, he attracted the 
attention of a wealthy and dashing gentleman who 
was standing by with a party of friends. ** Wait a 
moment," said the gentleman with a wink, " while I 
quiz this old farmer"; and then, advancing with 
much gravity, he began to question the Chancellor in 
regard to his horse, asking what he would take for his 
'* colt," what speed was in him, whether his sight was 
good, etc. All of which questions were answered 
with great good humor. On returning to his own 
party, one of them said : " Well, Colonel, what do 
you think of the Chancellor and his horse ? " '' Chan- 
cellor ! " he said in amazement; "Chancellor who?" 
'' Why, Chancellor Walworth ; didn't you know him ? " 
" O my God ! " said he ; " I'm in the devil's own luck 
this morning. Confound my impudence I I've a suit 
in that man's court for a hundred thousand dollars." 

No village has suffered more from fires than Sara- 
toga Springs, beginning with a great fire about forty- 
six years ago on the south-west corner of Broadway 
and Church Street. Then came the burning of the 
old two-story wooden school-house, near the Univer- 
salist Church, on the site afterwards occupied by a 
school-house of stone. (Small buildings these, but 



MARRIES AGAIN, ^g- 



memorable to those of us who have been whipped 
there.) The fine old Pavilion Hotel, once the favorite 
resort of Cubans and Southerners generally, was de- 
stroyed by an early fire, and so was the Columbian. 
Scarcely a hotel in the town and of the village that has 
not been burned down at least once. At most of 
these fires, particularly at the first mentioned, and at 
the two burnings of the United States Hotel, the 
Chancellor was an active and intelligent fireman. 
When no regularly authorized person presented him- 
self, he very readily assumed authority, and no one 
thought of disputing his orders. He supplied the 
want of engines and horse-trucks, ranging the citizens 
in lines to pass buckets of water, changing and direct- 
ing these lines as the exigencies of the time required. 
When the last fire occurred at the United States 
Hotel, he was on the roof of the building, although 
nearly eighty years old, moving about amid the flames 
with great hardihood and presence of mind 

On the i6th of April, 185 1, Chancellor Walworth 
married again. His second wife was Sarah Ellen, 
daughter of Horace Smith, of Locust Grove, Mercer 
County, Ky., and widow of Col. John J. Hardin, who 
was killed in the Mexican war at Buena Vista. She 
brought with her to Saratoga the three young chil- 
dren of her first marriage, two manly boys well 
known in the village, where they passed their child- 
' hood, and a daughter, the present Mrs. Ellen (Hardin) 
Walworth, who married her step-brother, and with 



354 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



her family of children still occupies the family man- 
sion. 

The second marriage was, like the first, a ver}' happy 
one. The new wife brought with her to Pine Grove 
not only a sweet and loving temper, but a certain 
Southern style of hospitality which consorted admira- 
bly with her husband's own disposition. A cheerful 
circle of friends soon gathered around her. She 
loved to keep open house, and many more familiar 
faces passed in and out than ever thought to ring the 
bell, or wait in the parlors. She sur\^ived her hus- 
band nearly ten years, still dwelling at the Grove, al- 
though in greater privacy, until her own recent and 
lamented death in July, 1874. 

His legal and political relations with others, his resi- 
dence at a watering-place so frequented as Saratoga 
Springs, but still more his social habits ,and cordial, 
warm-hearted disposition, had gained for him a very 
enlarged circle of acquaintances. Few men have 
been more extensively known throughout the country. 
Perhaps no man in it ever remembered his friends so 
well. He seemed never to forget either faces or 
names. His memory reached beyond the personal 
knowledge of individuals to their relations and con- 
nections in life, their marriages and intermarriages, 
their family history, genealogies and chronologies. 
Often it happened that strangers on being introduced 
to him for the first time would be astonished to find 
that he knew more of their families and family con- 



SEARCHING FOR HYDES. , - - 



nections than they did themselves. He may perhaps 
have acquired the habit of noticing these things in his 
first chancery practice. Certain it is that, after re- 
tiring from ofifice, the study of genealog>' became his 
chief relaxation and enjoyment, his peculiar hobby. 
His leisure time when in the house was chiefly occu- 
pied in writing upon this subject, and he delighted to 
talk about it with others of similar tastes. The his- 
tory of the multitudinous begetting and marrying 
done in his mother's family, entitled The Hyde Gene- 
alogy is said to be the largest account of a single 
family ever published. It contains 1,446 pages in 
two volumes of large octavo. While composing this 
work he corresponded with ever}- one that he thought 
could give him the least information. His letters 
caused great commotion in certain quarters. Some 
imagined that he must have discovered a great mine 
of wealth, and wrote to enquire what their share was 
likely to be. Some claimed descent from Edward 
Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, thinking that perhaps his 
estate had gone begging down to our times. Others 
seemed to fancy that Hyde Park, London, was to be 
divided, and hoped not to be forgotten in the distri- 
bution. Although the Chancellor's expectations were 
more modest, he was none the less alive on the Hyde 
question, and hunted up his relatives into remote 
generations with a zeal that never wearied. A daugh- 
ter of his once recommended him to put up for a sign 
over his office-door, " Cash paid for Hydes." 



356 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

In search of materials for this book he travelled 
about from time to time, more particularly in New 
England, visiting those from whom he expected to 
get information, inspecting parish records, and deci- 
phering the worn-out letters on many a moss-covered 
tombstone. Any one that knew the keenness of his 
intelligence and his wondrous memory, and that saw 
the industry and perseverance with which he pur- 
sued this dryest of all the dry sciences, can easily un- 
derstand the process which long before had made him 
the glory of the bench and the pride of the bar. 

His notions of honesty were high above the preva- 
lent standards of our day. He held in abomination 
that greedy and reckless traffic in the rise and fall of 
land, gold, stocks, securities, etc., which is commonly 
called " speculation," but which he denominated 
gambling. If not contrary to law, he held it to be 
contrary to natural morality, and would never take 
part in it in any way. During that wild fever of 
speculation which preceded the terrible crash of 1857, 
he was offered a great price for some land of his. His 
reply to the feverish applicant was: " It is not worth 
so much. You can have it for half the price, if you 
want to keep it. Otherwise, you will do better to 
leave it alone." 

It is difficult for any one who had only seen him in 
public life and amid the cares of his office and pro- 
fession,' to appreciate his social and domestic charac- 
ter, the kindness and affectionateness of his heart, the 



DEATH AND FUNERAL. 



357 



delicacy of his attention to others, the Hveliness of 
his conversation, his exuberant and sometimes bois- 
terous merriment, his fondness for the society of the 
young, with whom, even in his extreme old age, he 
loved to romp without the slightest thought of his 
own dignity. If dignity means a grandeur of soul 
arising from a high sense of honor, he had his full 
share of it. If it means to assume the posture of 
one who expects worship, it is a grace which he never 
acquired. It was something strange — with all his re- 
spectful courtesy to others, and his actual veneration 
for every great and good man — how little he exacted 
for himself. 

Chancellor Walworth died at Pine Grove on the 
28th of November, 1866, of an attack of diabetes, 
from which disease he had suffered more or less for 
three or four y^ars previously. 

He was attended in his last moments by his broth- 
er. Dr. Benjamin Walworth, of Fredonia, and sur- 
rounded by the members of his family, to whom lie 
bade farewell a short hour before his death in the most 
touching manner. His body was interred in the vil- 
lage cemetery, and in the family plot. This plot had 
long been an object of his especial care and interest. 
It was his custom for many long years to go there on 
Sunday morning before service, and when flowers 
were in season to carry thither bouquets wliich he 
had gathered in his garden. Indeed, he loved to walk 
around through the avenues of this cemetery, and 



358 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



visit his many friends in their resting-places, as if 
prompted by that same scrupulous and affectionate 
courtesy which he manifested to them when living, 
and which was so strong a characteristic of his na- 
ture. His body now lies beside that of the wife of 
his youth, among the graves that he had so well cher- 
ished, and beneath the soil where his affectionate 
hand had so often scattered roses. 

The family mansion is still standing in the old 
Grove, very little altered in external appearance since 
the day when the Chancellor first came to the Springs. 
But henceforth neither stranger nor villager, when 
passing by, will see him at work in his garden, as in 
the olden time, or romping with his grandchildren 
under the pines. No light will twinkle at late hours 
of the night through the office window. An unwont- 
ed stillness and loneliness has settled upon the place. 
The magnet which drew thither so many feet is no 
longer there. The joyous and affectionate heart 
which made the old walls glow with life and hospi- 
tality has ceased to beat. The Pine Grove is disen- 
chanted. And soon, perhaps, the busy hand of inno- 
vation will demolish the buildings, divide the grounds, 
and level the stately pines. New residences will 
spring up, marshalled like soldiers in close line upon 
the street, and obliterate every mark by which now 
we recognize the quaint old mansion and lovely grove 
where dwelt the last of the Chancellors. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Esek Cowen. 

"So works the man of just renown 
On men when centuries have flown; 
For what a good man would attain, 
The narrow bounds of life restrain ; 

And this the balm that genius gives — , 

Man dies, but after death he lives." 

Goethe. 

SARATOGA, aside from the prestige of its mineral 
waters, is pre-eminent by virtue of being the 
residence of many distinguished lawyers — men who 
have adorned the bench by their individual and pro- 
fessional worth. Indeed, during one period of its 
existence, Saratoga was the centre of a galaxy of legal 
minds that cast a halo around whatever came within 
the circle of its influence. The names of Walworth 
and Willard, Cowen, Warren, and Hill, Rogers and 
Nash, Beach and Barbour,* will at once occur to the 



* Oliver L. Barbour was born in 1811, in Washington County, N. Y. He early re- 
moved to Saratoga Springs, and, as the confidential clerk of his relative. Chancellor 
Walworth, became familiar with those great legal principles, the elucidating of which 
has given him such an enviable, reputation in the profession. Hamilton College 
acknowledged his worth by conferring on him the honorary degree of LLD. He yet 
resides at Saratoga, greatly honored both at home and abroad- his works being highly 
commended by Chief-Justice Story, \.\\& American Jurist, and other authorities of 
high repute. He is the editor of the following legal treatises: I. Fruity D!/:*sf, em- 
bracing- English, Irish, and American Reports, 4 vols. 8vo ; II. Collyer on fart- 
nerships: III. Chitty on Bills: IV. A Treatise on Criminal Law : V. A 'I realise 

359 



360 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



reader ; while the names of others now living in 
Saratoga, and also eminent in their profession, show 
that the mantles of the departed have fallen upon 
worthy successors. The present chapter will be de- 
voted to a sketch of one of the most brilliant of these 
legal lights, viz., Esek Cowen. 

Esek Cowen, the father of Patrick H. Cowen and 
the late Sidney J. Cowen, was descended from John 
Cowen, a native of Scotland, who settled in Scituate, 
Mass., in 1656. He was born in Rhode Island, Feb- 
ruary 24, 1787. His father's family removed to New 
York State in 1 790, settling in Greenfield, Saratoga 
County. About four years afterwards he removed 
to Hartford, Washington County. At sixteen years 
of age, he began the study of law in the office of 
Roger Skinner at Sandy Hill,, continuing his studies 
afterwards with Zebulon Shepherd. He was admitted 
to the bar in 1810, and began the practice of law with 
Gardner Stowe, in Northumberland, Saratoga County. 
In 181 1 he married a daughter of Colonel Sidney 
Berry, and the following year removed to Saratoga 
Springs.* Immediately after the adoption of the 



on the Law 0/ Set-ojf : VI. A Treatise on the Court o/ Chancery^ 2 vols. ; VII. 
Reports 0/ Cises Decided in the Court 0/ Chancery^ 3 vols. ; VIII. Reports 0/ 
Cases Derided in the Supreme Court 0/ the State 0/ New York, 18 vols. His 
latest works are a revision of his Chancery Practice and Equity Practice — the last 
especially designed to adapt the Code of New York to the practice of other States. 

* Colonel Sidney Berry, the first Surrogate of Saratoga Countj', served in the Amer- 
ican Revolution ; and it was he who was detailed to receive, on the 30th of September, 
1776, the messenger sent by Lord Howe to invite Dr. Franklin, John Adams, and Mr. 
Luttrage to a conference on Staten Island. 



ESEK CO WEN. 



361 



Constitution of 182 1, and the organization of the judi- 
cial system under it, he was made Reporter of the 
Supreme Court, continuing in that office until 1828, 
when he was appointed Judge of the Fourth Circuit. 
On the withdrawal, in 1835, of J^^idge Savage from 
the bench of the Supreme Court, he was appointed 
to fill the vacancy, and continued in that office until 
his decease. 

The high reputation which Judge Cowen enjoyed 
in his profession, and the high honors wliich marked 
the public appreciation of it, were the fruits of his 
own unaided vigor of intellect. He was peculiarly a 
self-made man. Six months' attendance at a common 
school was all the education he received. The care 
of an intelligent mother and his own ambition and 
energy supplied the rest. At the age of fifteen he 
began teaching school, and so continued during the 
winters in which he studied his profession. A de- 
voted student not only of his profession, but of litera- 
ture in general, he became, in spite of the limited 
education of his youth, a well-instructed and even 
a learned man. He taught himself the ancient lan- 
guages, and became thoroughly conversant with 
English literature. But it was as a jurist that Mr. 
Cowen was distinguished. He was a clear and accu- 
rate writer — a prompt, acute, learned, and upright 
judge. His energy, as will hereafter appear, was 
indomitable. While Judge of the Circuit he made it 
his constant practice to hear before adjournment 



362 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



every cause ready for trial. Yet, at this period he 
retired from labors which exhausted the bar, un- 
wearied, to those tasks of study and of laborious com- 
pilation of which he has left the monuments in his 
Treatise and his Notes on Evidence. 

The extraordinary endurance with which Judge 
Cowen was gifted was the result of a splendid con- 
stitution, strengthened by vigorous and systematic 
exercise in the open air. His athletic frame and fine 
muscular development were often the subjects of 
remark, and he was wont to say that, when a young 
man, he could cut his two cords of wood a day with- 
out the least undue strain. This physical power was 
further developed by the singular abstinence of his 
habits, both in eating and drinking. This abstinence 
was the result of a rule adopted in his youth ; and it 
may be worthy of note, in this connection, that he 
was, in 1812, one of the founders, in Northumberland, 
Saratoga County, of the first temperance society in 
the United States. 

In 1817, he associated with him in partnership Mr. 
William L. F. Warren, who had previously been a law 
student in his office — a partnership which continued 
until Judge Cowen was appointed State Reporter in 
1824. Mr. Judiah Ellsworth was also associated with 
him after his dissolution with Judge Warren, for five 
or six years. Soon after his removal to Saratoga 
Springs, he purchased property on Congress Street, 
and built the Stone House, so long known as his resi- 



THE McLEOD CASE. 



363 



dence, and also the office where were written Coivens 
Treatise and the Notes on Phillipps Evidenee* Tlic 
latter of these works represents a labor of eleven 
years, in the last three of which he was assisted by 
Nicholas Hill and William L. F. Warren.f Here were 
written those learned opinions which illumined the 
Reports in the best days of our jurisprudence, and 
which have since rendered his name illustrious ; and 
here, also, was written his famous opinion in the cele- 
brated '' McLeod case," in which were discussed the 
question of perfect and imperfect war, and other great 
national principles, and which by its marked learning 
and ability attracted the attention of the civilized 
world. *' The Court," says a learned authority of the 
day, ^^ ill refusing to discharge McLeod^ have nobly 
maintained the supremacy of the laws, and vindi- 
cated the dignity and rights of this State." The law 



* The stone house and oflSce are yet standing ; the former occupied as a saloon and 
residence by Michael Grimes, and the latter as a blacksmith-shop by Thomas Flana- 
gan. The office was also at one time the village " lock-up." 

+ In 1839, Gould, Banks & Co. published the work last named in four volumes. 
Vol I. is a republication of Mr. Phillipps' first volume ; Vols. II. and III. are well known 
as Coiuen and Hill's Note^ to Vol. I. The second volume of Mr. Phillipps' work is 
republished in Vol IV. . " With Notes." The title-page gives as the author a " < oun- 
sellor-at-Law," and very few are aware that these notes to Vol. II. of Phillipps' were 
prepared by William L. F. Warren, who states in his preface: "The notes to this 
volume were undertaken at the suggestion of Judge (owen, and with the expectation 
of being supervised by him. The official avocations of the Judge, however, were 
such that this expectation was early abandoned, and the work was continued on the 
sole responsibility of the present editor. The author, therefore, is no otherwise in- 
debted to the Judge than for the use of his office and valuable library." These vol- 
umes, together with Cowen's Treatise^ were, during one generation at least, more ex- 
tensively consulted than any other law books then extant. 



364 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

there laid down by Covven was, in fact, conceded by 
all eminent jurists, both in this country and abroad, 
to be sound doctrine, and the true exposition of in- 
ternational law — none being more ready to admit the 
full force of those governing principles than the 
learned Judges of England. Judge Cowen was also 
fully sustained in his opinion by his associates on the 
bench — Chief-Justice Nelson and Justice Bronson. 

Of Judge Cowen's opinions, which so eminently 
distinguished him as a jurist, it has been said, that 
** in their depth and breadth of research, and their 
strength and reason of bearing, they are not ex- 
celled by those of any judge in England or America." 
" His opulent mind, his love of research, caused him 
to trace every legal opinion to its fountain-head — 
to discover every variation between apparently an- 
alogous precedents; for him, all authority, whether 
English, French, or American, was as familiar as the 
simplest elemental principle. Like Lord Mansfield, 
to whom he has frequently been compared, he 
was accustomed, in the preparation of his opinions, 
to a liberal expenditure of mental capital — an ex- 
cess of intellectual labor which renders them the 
triumphs of a great genius, impelled by an unpre- 
cedented industry." 

The predominant characteristics of Judge Cowen's 
mind were penetration, quickness of perception, force 
and originality of thought. He was a man of un- 
tiring zeal in intellectual labors — with fixed habits 



yUDICIAL ABILITY. 



365 



of intense application — and while yet young he be- 
came a ripe and varied student, earning the reputa- 
tion of being one of the most finished scholars as 
well as one of the most erudite judges of the nation. 
He devoted never less than fourteen hours a day 
to study — often protracting his labors far into the 
night. An amusing anecdote illustrating this is in 
point. At such times he never consulted his watcli, 
but used wax-candles — starting with fresh ones every 
evening; when they had burned to the socket, it 
forced him to bring his labors to a close. On one 
occasion he thought he would substitute for them 
a lamp, as requiring less attention in snuffing. The 
hours wore on, and the oil being unexhausted, day- 
light found him still at his labors. He made the 
trial a second night, but with no better success, and 
was oblicred to return to his candles. 

Such, moreover, was the rapidity of his mental 
operations, the quickness of his perceptions, that he 
could almost intuitively understand and grasp the 
argument of counsel, and follow them through the 
chaos of precedent with unerring accuracy while en- 
gaged in studying the details of the case in the 
papers before him. Frequently, during the argu- 
ment of a cause, he would become so devoted to 
the papers, now marking some important sentence, 
and now making some memoranda on the margin, 
that he apparently gave no attention to the reason- 
ino- of counsel. This seeming indifference and in- 



366 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



attention was often very embarrassing, and once gave 
rise to the following anecdote. On one occasion 
when the late Samuel Stevens was engaged in the 
argument of an important case, Judge Cowen be- 
came so absorbed in reading the case as to give 
Stevens the impression that he was not giving his 
argument the least attention. As it was a suit in- 
volving many intricate legal questions, Stevens was 
particularly anxious that Cowen should thoroughly 
understand him, and his seeming want of attention to 
his argument gave that eminent and usually self-pos- 
sessed lawyer so great uneasiness that he proceeded 
with considerable hesitation and embarrassment. 
While the latter was devising in his mind some 
means by which he could gain the undivided atten- 
tion of the court, Judge Cowen, suddenly raising 
his eyes from the papers before him, said: *' Mr. 
Stevens, you have several times in your argument 
referred to the eighth section of the act to prevent 
usury, as providing that all and every person sued 
for the same, shall be compelled to answer on oath 
to any bill preferred for discovering the money taken 
usuriously. I do not understand the eighth section 
that way. Does the learned counsel so understand 
it?" "Certainly I do," was the reply. "Are }'ou 
not mistaken? " *' I do not think I am, your Honor, 
but I will see," said Stevens, opening the statutes 
which lay before him, and turning to the section. 
" Well, your Honor, I am mistaken ; it is the fourth 



MIDNIGHT TRIALS. 



367 



section that contains the provision I allude to, and 
I am most happy to be corrected by your Honor." 
'' Proceed, Mr. Stevens, I do not desire to interrupt 
you," said the judge, making a note with his pen 
at the bottom of the written page before him. " I 
was delighted with Judge Cowen's interruption," 
whispered Stevens to Benjamin F. Butler, after con- 
cluding his argument, ''for I thought he was not 
listening to me at all, he seemed so much engaged 
with those papers ; but I see he understood the case 
better than I did, for I was getting confoundedly 
nervous at his apparent indifference to my argu- 
ment." 

Among his other characteristics Judge Cowen pos- 
sessed, as before hinted, indomitable energy and re- 
markable powers of endurance. Several anecdotes 
illustrating these traits are worthy of mention. It is 
related of him that on one occasion, while he was Cir- 
cuit judge — for the purpose of closing up the business 
of the term — he sent the Sheriff to the hotel at mid- 
night to arouse the District Attorney to try the last 
case on the criminal calendar. The case was tried thtn 
and there, and the business of that circuit, at least, 
was closed up. Major James R. Craig, of Schenec- 
tady, tells also the following incident of his boyhood, 
when, for the first time, he was examined as a wit- 
ness. The plaintiff, who resided in Saratoga County, 
had sued Craig's father, and the cause was tried at 
Ballston, before Judge Cowen. About midnight 



368 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

Craig was called as a witness for the defence, and had 
been examined at length, when, a discussion arising 
between the counsel as to the admissibility of evi- 
dence, he fell asleep. How long the '' sparring" con- 
tinued he does not remember, but he was suddenly 
awakened by Judge Cowen saying, " You can answer 
the question." Rousing up and rubbing his eyes he 
replied, " What question do you mean, judge ? I 
have been asleep." His examination continued until 
two o'clock in the morning, and his recollection is, to 
this day, most vivid of the .long, dark walk afterward 
down the hill from the Court-House and through the 
streets to the Sans Souci Hotel. Again, on another 
occasion, the Circuit term of the Court in Essex 
County, while Cowen was Circuit judge, began on 
Tuesday and ended on Saturday. At one of these 
terms in January, late on Saturday night, there still 
remained an important case untried. Judge Hand 
was counsel on one side, and the late General Ross on 
the other. Witnesses upon both sides had been sub- 
poenaed and were in attendance. The parties and 
counsel being equally desirous of trying the case. 
Judge Cowen said that he had to be at the Clinton 
Circuit on Tuesday morning, but would detain the 
jury till Monday and try the case on that day, pro- 
vided the principals in the suit, with their counsel and 
witnesses, would be at the Court-House promptly at 
seven o'clock in the morning. All agreeing to this, 
the Court was accordingly adjourned to that time. 



CHARACTER OF JUDGE CO WEN. 36^ 



On Sunday afternoon there began one of those snow- 
storms peculiar to that region, which continued un- 
abated throughout the entire night and during the 
following day. Nevertheless, precisely at seven o'clock 
Monday morning, Judge Cowen stood on the steps of 
the Court-House, in the midst of the driving storm, 
with the snow up to his knees — but neither the clerk, 
the jury, the parties, the counsel, the witnesses, nor 
the spectators were there ! After looking about for a 
few minutes, and finding the door of the Court-House 
locked, he made formal proclamation that the Circuit 
Court, and Court of Oyer and Terminer, in and fftr the 
County of Essex, was adjourned sine dii\ and de- 
parted. 

In social life Judge Cowen was invariably cheerful 
— at times almost jocose. He drew all hearts to him, 
and disarmed the criticism of those superficial ob- 
servers who called him cold ; for, although intensely 
practical and of great independence of character, yet 
in him there was no lack of fine sensibility, as all felt 
who had mingled sympathies with him in the hours 
of social relaxation. In one point, especially, he 
greatly resembled his connection by marriage, Mr. 
Miles Beach. No one who needed aid ever appealed 
to him in vain ; and many are they whom by material 
means and kindly advice he has started on the road to 
fame and fortune. The late Gideon M. Davison, in 
his remarks on the occasion of Judge Cowen's death, 
says: " He was my early friend and benefactor — the 



ZjO REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



one who, when I needed aid, kindly took me by the 
hand and led me through various trials — the one, in 
fact, who laid the foundation of all I have of earthly 
possessions." And doubtless there are others to-day 
who, if they were disposed to be as noble and gene- 
rous as Mr. Davison, could come forward and offer 
a similar tribute on the altar of his memory. 

Nor was his liberality confined to acts of private 
kindness. In 1832 he united with Dr. Clarke and 
Judge Walton in building an Episcopal Chapel on the 
corner of East Congress and Putnam Streets — Cowen 
furnishing the money, Clarke the land, and Walton 
the timber. It was called Bethesda Chapel, and in it 
the Episcopal Society worshipped until the comple- 
tion of their present church on Washington Street. 

Judge Cowen's house was frequently the scene of 
kindly hospitality, where those politically and intel- 
lectually eminent were made welcome and entertained 
with that quiet courtesy which distinguished his per- 
sonal demeanor. His genial sympathies, rare poetic 
taste, humor, and love of music, united to a voice of 
great sweetness in singing, made him a delightful 
companion — one of his favorite pastimes being to ac- 
company Mrs. Miles Beach in singing those plaintive 
Scotch ballads, such as " Highland Mary," " Bonnie 
Doon," and *' Mary in Heaven." His house was also 
the home of the oppressed. The Canadian patriots 
L. J. Papineau, Doctors O'Callaghan, Nelson, and 
D'Avignon, found here a hearty welcome and a safe 



APPEARANCE OF JUDGE CO WEN. 371 



asylum. Under his roof Mr. Papineau, under an as- 
sumed name, passed the first night of liis sojourn in 
Saratoga, starting the following morning, accompanied 
by the late Sidney J. Cowen, for " the lines," in 
search of his son, who had also just made his escape 
from Canada. 

In person Judge Cowen was tall, being over six 
feet in height, and possessed of great dignity of 
presence united to the most simple and unassuming 
manners. A correspondent of one of the leading 
papers of the State thus describes his personal ap- 
pearance when on the bench of the Supreme Court 
the year before his death: *' Justice Cowen has his 
seat on the left of the Chief-Justice, where he sits 
solitary and alone, watching with care and attention 
the advancements made by the counsel. Justice 
Cowen has the highest order of a reflective mind. 
The marks of deep thought rest upon his bro.v — his 
locks are silvery white, and the blood has so much 
forsaken his veins, that when he closes his eyes, 
which he frequently does, he seems as unearthly as 
the ghost of the Venetian maiden who appeared 
to her lover before the walls of Corinth. His hands 
are bloodless — 

" And \>ere so transparent of hue 

You might have seen the moonshine through." 

Judge Cowen died in the city of Albany on the 
nicrht of the nth of February, 1844. Many still re- 



iTk" 



372 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



member the gloom that pervaded that city when his 
death was announced the following morning, and the 
obituary honors which were paid to his memory.* 
The funeral in Albany took place on the 13th. The 
coffin was borne to the great hall of the Capitol 
followed by the clergy of the city, the Governor and 
State officers, both Houses of the Legislature, the 
judges and members of the bar, the corporation of 
the city and a large body of citizens. Religious 
ceremonies having been held, the procession again 
formed, and accompanied the remains as far as the 
Patroon's, on the route to Saratoga Springs, where, 
on the 15th, the last obsequies were performed, 
Rev. Dr. Babcock, of Ballston, reading the burial 
service, and Rev. Edward Davis delivering an im- 
pressive discourse. 

The bells of the different churches were tolled, 
and all the stores and shops closed while the pro- 
cession was in motion and during the ceremonies 
at the grave. 

" Ye need not hang that candle by the desk ; 

Ye may remove his chair, and take away his book ; 
He will not come to-night." 



* Among other resolutions passed by the Legislature was the following: '•^Resolved, 
That as a mark of respect for his great learning, varied acquirements, simplicity of 
manners, unostentatious deportment and integrity of character, the members of the 
Legislature will wear the usual badge of mourning thirty days," 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

John Willard. 

"An honest lawyer is the life-guard of our fortunes, the best collateral security for 
an estate; a true priest of justice, that neither sacrifices to fraud nor covetousness ; 
and in this outdoes those of a higher function, that he can make people honest that 
are sermon-proof— one. that practic2S law so as not to forget the Gospel, but always 
wears a conscience as well as a gown." Roger L'Estrange, 1676. 

JOHN WILLARD, the nephew of the late Mrs. 
Emma Willard, and the uncle of Hon. Charles 
S. Lester and Mrs. Alembert Pond, was born on the 
20th day of May, 1792, and graduated at Middlebury 
College in 1813. He was a relative, on his mother's 
side, of the British Admiral, Lord Thomas Graves, 
well known in connection with his ensfaeement, dur- 
ing the Revolutionary War, with Count De Grasse. 
Born at Guildford, Conn., Willard was directly de- 
scended, on the paternal side, from two of the Puritan 
band of colonists who, in 1639, planted that town. 
Never was there a settlement formed of more rigid 
Puritans than that of Guildford, and there is no town 
in New England where the peculiarities of that noble 
race of men have been more faithfully transmitted 
from father to son. While attending college he 
was associated with the late Silas Wright and Hon. 
Samuel Nelson, and evinced at that time the same 

373 



374 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

patriotic solicitude for the success of his country in 
a foreign war that he afterwards exhibited for it in 
an internal one. His college course completed, with 
the advice of his friends he left Vermont to study 
law and seek its honors in a broader field. He bade 
farewell to his Alma Mater with no outward property 
but his books of study. On leaving, his aunt said : 
*' John, we have high expectations for you ; and no- 
thing will satisfy us short of your going upon the 
bench of the Supreme Court of the State of New 
York." Who shall say how much these parting 
words may have influenced his after life ? Immedi- 
ately upon being admitted to the bar as an attorney 
of the Supreme Court in 1817, under the Chief- 
Justiceship of Smith Thompson, he entered upon the 
practice of the law in Salem, Washington County, 
N. Y. Bringing to the profession of his choice a 
well stored and disciplined mind, he soon attained, 
by his untiring industry, and without any adventi- 
tious aid, an enviable eminence in his calling. For 
many years he was first Judge of the Common Pleas, 
and Surrogate of Washington County, until, in 1836, 
on the elevation of Esek Cowen to the bench of 
the Supreme Court, he received the appointment 
of Circuit Judge and Vice-Chancellor of the Fourth 
Judicial District — filling that office until the new 
organization of the Judiciary under the constitution 
of 1846, when he was elected one of the Justices of 
the Supreme Court. This latter office he held until 



JUDGE JOHN WILLARD. 



375 



1854; and, under the regulations of our judicial sys- 
tem, was a member of the Court of Appeals during 
the last year of his term of service. The rapidity 
and ability with which he discharged his judicial 
duties ; his uniform courtesy and kindness to the 
profession ; and, above all, the pureness and integ- 
rity of his character as a judge and as a maji, com- 
rrmnded universal respect and esteem, winning for 
him many flattering testimonials of regard from the 
bar in the different counties of his district. After 
his retirement from the bench he was ensfajred for 
some years in the preparation of his Equity Juris- 
prudence (i^^^), a Treatise on Executors, Administra- 
tors^ and Guardians (1859), ^ Treatise on Real Estate 
and Co7iveyancing (1861) — works which form valuable 
contributions to our jurisprudence, and are not less 
distinguished for their felicity and perspicuity of 
style than accurate and legal learning.* They are 
everywhere cited with confidence and received as 
authority, and have conferred upon their author an 
enduring fame. In 1856 he was appointed by Presi- 
dent Pierce, under Attorney- General Gushing, one of 
the commissioners to examine into the validity of 



* The progress of his authorship was remarkable, considering the important nature 
of his works, which were to be used as authorities in co irtsof justice, and thus con- 
stantly exposed to the most astute criticism. He had no copyist. He seldom (and in 
this respect he very much resembled George Sand) interlined or re-wrote. It was his 
own manuscript, with few corrections, that went to his printer. His habit (like Hum- 
boldt) was to begin writing at a certain hour in the morning, and to leave off as regu- 
larly, before exhaustion should begin. 



3/6 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

the California land titles wbich were claimed under 
Spanish and Mexican grants. These titles were 
obscure and indefinite, many of them being fictitious, 
and led to much litigation, as, for instance, the 
*' New Almaden Quicksilver Mine " and the Fre- 
mont '* Mariposa Grant." This, which, as may readi- 
ly be supposed, was a long, laborious, and highly re 
sponsible task, he performed fearlessly, honestly, and 
satisfactorily to the Government that had selected 
him for the carrying out of this difficult and im- 
portant duty. As a politician he was warmly at- 
tached to the Democratic party, and was strong and 
decided in his political opinions ; but upon the break- 
ing out of our late civil war he sunk the partisan 
in the patriot, taking early and strong ground in 
favor of a united support to our Government in its 
struggle for self-preservation." In i86i he was the 
candidate of the Union Convention for State Sena- 
tor, and, subsequently endorsed by all other parties, 
was elected without opposition. While in the 
Senate he uniformly acted with the Union Demo- 
crats and Republicans ; and his opinion, on all ques- 
tions before that body, was always received with 

* The writer well remembers a conversation held with Judge Willard in the office 
of Judge Lester, just after his return from a visit to Washington — when everything 
was in confusion on the outbreak of the rebellion, and when the stunning qSqcX. of the 
firing on Fort Sumter — so completely unexpected — had , paralyzed every one, irrespec- 
tive of party, at the North. Judge Willard's judicial mind took in the situation, and in 
the course of a talk he remarked : '' Mr. Stone, I have always been a Democrat, but this 
is a time when /arifj' must go by the board. The GoveTi\mGutmusi de susiairied 
come v/hat will.'' 



A MODEL LAIVYER. 



^77 



great respect. By his efforts the confusion in the 
laws respecting murder, and the rights of married 
women, were removed, and simple and sensible 
statutes passed and substituted in their place. 

Such, in brief, is a sketch of the life of John Wil- 
lard. But his character was in many respects so 
lovely, and presents so many examples worthy of imi- 
tation, that the remainder of this chapter will be de- 
voted to the presentation of a few of the salient 
traits of this truly Christian gentleman and lawyer, 
in the hope that it will lead to their emulation by 
those youths of the present generation who desire to 
attain to a perfect manhood. Especially is such a 
high example needed in these degenerate days, when 
the name of a lawyer is in danger of becoming a 
synonym of low pettifogging and chicanery. The 
profession of a lawyer — that of assisting Justice to 
hold the scales with an even hand — is, if conscien- 
tiously followed, nearly as sacred a calling as that of 
the ministry. Let, then, those just starting in life, 
and particularly those who are intending to follow 
the legal profession, before whom these lines may 
come, make Willard their model ; and while sitting at 
his feet, learn wisdom and courage to reach — what 
should be the highest ideal of us all— a pure, honora- 
ble, and Christian career. 

Nor, fortunately, are the means for a correct esti- 
mate of his character wanting. Mrs. Emma Willard, 



378 



REMIxVISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



under whose roof a part of her nephew's boyhood 
was spent, has furnished some reminiscences of his 
life, which, with some personal recollections of my 
own, enables the author to speak with greater accu- 
racy than might otherwise be the case. 

One of the chief characteristics of Judge Willard, 
and which, unquestionably, was one of the founda- 
tions of his prosperity, was his reliability. His ap- 
preciation of the value of time was remarkable. Hence 
arose his power to attain that extraordinary punctu- 
ality which throughout his entire life pre-eminently 
distinguished him. During his college life, for exam- 
ple, the regularly recurring duties of the week, the 
day, and the hour were always remembered in their 
exact order, and from settled principles of action 
they were never neglected. His impulse was rather 
to perform them a little in advance of the time. 
Throughout the four years of his collegiate course 
(with one exception which will be alluded to here- 
after) he never received a single demerit for absence 
from recitation, or even for tardiness, although he 
lodged and studied at home — nearly a quarter of a 
mile from the old college where he recited. Ever, as 
his lesson was learned, he was wont to descend the 
stairs from his room to the front hall, and to be there 
walking backward and forward, ready to step out on 
the threshold, with the first stroke of the college 
bell ; and he would be at the recitation room exactly 
in time, neither too early — which has its advantages — 



PUNCTUALITY. -sj^ 



nor by any means too late. This punctuality, more- 
ever, was not only an important element in his suc- 
cess as a college student, but being formed in nature 
and cultivated into an unfailing habit, it was a mate- 
rial element in the eminent success of his whole ca- 
reer. In social life he never disappointed friends who 
expected him ; nor as a lawyer did his clients ever 
have to make fruitless journeys to find a man who 
had forgotten his engagement and wandered from 
his office. But it was as a judge that the full 
magnitude of this virtue was seen. How much ot 
the time and the expenses of suitors with their at- 
tendant witnesses were saved, and how much the 
ends of public justice were served in his courts b}- the 
inflexible punctuality of the judge, may be learned 
from the testimony of the lawyers and suitors who 
attended. All will say, that not only was the judge 
punctual himself, but that he possessed the resolute 
intrepidity of character to bring all about him, who 
were directly or indirectly concerned in the busi- 
ness of his courts, up to his own standard of exact- 
ness. 

It has been said that Willard received one mark 
for tardiness while in college. It arose as follows: 
Having passed through the first two years of his col- 
lege career without a single fault-mark, one of the 
professors, to prove that he was not partial, allowed 
a mark to stand asfainst him for tardiness at prayers, 
which the whole class knew to be undeserved. The 



380 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

next morning the class was startled by the unusual 
appearance of Willard entering the chapel after the 
preliminary exercise had begun — for which, as he ex- 
pected, he received a second mark. He made no 
apology; but having given this quiet intimation that 

" He knew his rights, and knowing dare maintain," 

he went through the remaining two years of his career 
without another mark, either for transgression or de- 
linquency. 

An evidence of that reliability of character, which 
had its foundation in this punctuality, is found in the 
fact that he was trusted, even in the earliest days of 
his practice, by all men and all classes. *' Indeed," 
says Chancellor Walworth in his speech on the occa- 
sion of Judge Wiliard's death, " such was my confi- 
dence in his capacity and his sound discretion as a 
county judge, when he was first appointed to that 
office, and when I was presiding in the Court of Oyer 
and Terminer, that I requested him to take the whole 
management of the trial of a capital case. And to 
those who were afterwards acquainted with him as a 
judge it is needless to say that at that early day my 
perfect confidence in his capacity to discharge the 
most important of all judicial duties, was not mis- 
placed." In truth, it might be said of him, as a law- 
yer, that he was semper paratus semper fidelis; for he 
was always ready and prepared to argue the cause of 
his client when the time arrived for him to do so ; and 



DEFENDING BAD CASES, 381 



no lawyer ever discharged that duty more honorably 
and faithfully. In fact, during the long period of 
thirty years that he occupied a judicial station as 
County Judge and Vice-Chancellor, Justice of the 
Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Appeals, and 
as a Judge of the Court for the trial of Impeach- 
ments, no judicial officer ever discharged his duties 
more uprightly or more faithfully. 

The question might here very naturally be asked 
by those who are starting in the legal profession : 
How did Willard, with his high ideal, pass successfully 
through the early struggles of a young lawyer, with- 
out pandering to the wishes of unprincipled clients? 
In other words, did he ever have any reason to doubt 
the principle upon which he always insisted, when he 
was in college, that the cultivation of justice in the 
heart, and truth in the speech, is the foundation 
not only of sound morality, but of all effective elo- 
quence ? Let him answer in his own words. "I 
never had — although, in the beginning, as a poor 
young lawyer getting business slowly, I had strong 
temptations. I was sometimes assigned by courts to 
defend bad men, but there my duty only required of 
me to set forth all the extenuating points in the case. 
Scoundrels who deserved punishment soon learned 
to keep clear of me. As for such poor fellows, 
however, as had been thoughtlessly led into wrong, 
I would frequently give them advice gratis- -after 
telling them to flee, repent and reform." Thus, 



382 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

his character once established, the cases he did get 
he almost invariably gained. He plead them in 
earnest, his conscience being with and not against 
him. And this course was in keeping with the 
principle he early adopted, and it deserves to be 
written in ** letters of gold on tablets of silver," 
that he would never take part in any disputation 
that required of him to set his words in variance 
with his belief — thus favoring the dangerous fallacy 
that there is an art by which truth may be manu- 
factured — leading to mental habits which impair 
morality, and destroy the foundation of true elo- 
quence. 

The period of his going to Albany to argue his 
first cause before the Supreme Court was especially 
impressed upon his memory. It was at the time 
when that court was so proudly eminent, having 
the late Chief-Justice Ambrose Spencer at its head. 
He observed that nothing escaped the penetration of 
that judge, and that whenever he had heard a matter 
explained once, his wrath would kindle when some 
long-winded pleader attempted to go over it again. 
So when Willard's own case came up, and the 
opposing lawyer had made his statement, he began 
where his adversary left off; and by a concise and 
clear exposition of his case, he soon had the earnest 
attention of the judge. He then related concisely 
what proposal of settlement he had made to his 
opponent ; ** and," rejoined Spencer, '' what could 



A SCRUPULOUS GRAND JURY. 383 



they say against that?" He bowed and begi^cd 
the Court's permission to leave it to the opposing 
counsel. He won the cause, and eventually the 
friendship of the judges. 

After he became himself a judge, Willard's well- 
balanced mind was never moved by the frenzies of 
the day; hence he was extensively regarded as a 
tower of defence against popular excesses. Once, 
when he had been called down the Hudson to decide 
an anti-rent suit, the party whose cause, though 
popular, was illegal, sent him word that he " need 
not come, as they would settle the matter among 
themselves." 

Judge Willard was also wont to relate an anecdote 
which dates back to the days of the Maine Liquor 
Law — how he met the extreme conscientiousness of 
a grand jury with respect to an innkeeper who 
had sold a quart of brandy to be carried, contrary 
to his license, off his premises, although it was 
ordered by a surgeon to bathe the bruises of a 
wayfaring man who had been thrown from a wagon. 
"I told them," said the Judge, ''that they would 
have indicted the good Samaritan for taking care 
of the man who went down from Jerusalem to 
Jericho, and fell among thieves!" 

In the popular sense of the term Judge Willard was 
not an orator. He had not, like Daniel Webster, the 
natural advantages of a commanding figure and an 
oratorical voice, which give weight to words. Still, if 



284 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



to convince the understanding and persuade the will 
be eloquence, then was he eloquent. The writer well 
remembers one occasion in particular, Avhen his words 
fell upon assembled thousands with electrical effect. 
It was in the summer of i860, when Stephen H. 
Douelas, then a candidate for the Presidency, was 
given a reception on his way through the village to 
Lake George. The morning opened dark and gloomy. 
Yet, as soon as it became known that Mr. Douglas 
was to arrive from Albany in the two o'clock train, 
many gathered around the depot waiting for the arri- 
val of the cars. Several bands from Fort Edward, 
Glen's Falls, and other neighboring villages, were 
there, ready to greet the opponent of '' Honest Abe." 
About five minutes before the train arrived, the rain 
ceased, and the sun throwing out its genial rays, 
many of Mr. Douglas's admirers saw therein a pro- 
phetic meaning. Mr. Douglas was met at the depot 
by Mr. Charles S. Lester, and escorted, in a carriage 
drawn by four horses and decorated with flags, by the 
bands to the main steps of the United States Hotel. 
Over the entrance was suspended the national flag, 
with the word " Welcome" in large letters. Upon his 
mounting the steps, on the arm of Mr. Lester, the 
bands struck up '' See the Conquering Hero Comes," 
and the cannon began firing. Quiet being obtained, 
Judge Willard stepped forward and welcomed the dis- 
tinguished visitor in one of the neatest, most finished, 
and graceful speeches it has ever been the lot of the 



MANNER AND CONVERSATION. 385 



author to hear. Although Willard's voice was not 
strong, yet it was so finely modulated, and his enun- 
ciation was so clear, that of the three thousand per- 
sons present there was not one who did not hear each 
word as distinctly as if it had been uttered in a draw- 
ing-room.* 

But description is utterly inadequate to give an 
idea of the man himself as felt by those with whom 
he came into immediate contact. There was such a 
winning sweetness, such an indescribable charm of 
manner, that even the modest reticence, which was 
sometimes apparent, served rather to attract than to 
repel. Especially was this the case in his intercourse 
with the young. For possessing that faculty which 
belongs to so few, viz., of appearing to be the party 
receiving information, he made them always feel at 
ease in his presence. I shall ever cherish, as among 
the pleasantest memories of my life, those hours when 
I have listened to his conversation which, sustained by 
a great fund of general information, made intercourse 



* The reply of Mr. Douglas was equally happy. He opened by alluding to Sara- 
toga as being the property of the whole Union — the place where all the lovers of their 
country could meet and sympathize in common— that here, at these refreshing waters, 
after the toils and turmoils incident to political life, could best be found the peace and 
relaxation so much needed. He thus defined his position on the slavery question : 
The question, he said, must be removed from Congress. Let the citizens of the 
North carry their property, their merchandise, their horses and cattle, into the terri- 
tories ; let the citizens of the South carry their property, their slaves, into the terri- 
tory, and there seek protection for their property under the local laws alike. The 
following morning, Mr. Douglas and hb wife, accompanied by Mr. C S. Lester and 
others, visited Lake George, whence the former proceeded through Lake Champlain 
and the St Lawrence to his home in the West. 



386 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 

with him always so delightful and instructive. The 
same qualities, moreover, which rendered converse 
with him so fascinating in private were no less con- 
spicuous in public. His manner upon the bench was 
patient, dignified, and courteous. He enjoyed the 
confidence and esteem of the bar, and his deci- 
sions commanded great respect, both at home and 
abroad. *' His recorded opinions," as has been 
justly remarked by O. L. Barbour, '' exhibit great 
learning and logical ability, and are pervaded 
by a high-toned morality and adorned by a lucid 
style." 

Through life, he never had occasion to solicit office. 
When he went upon the bench of the Supreme Court 
of the State, Governor Marcy (who was wont thus 
to forestall office-seekers) gave him a surprise, by 
sending him his appointment. But in the manner 
of his being chosen to the State Senate, there was 
something not only honorable to him, but nationally 
encouraging — that, in these later days of American 
degeneracy, the people of his Senatorial district 
should have shown a patriotic wisdom worthy of 
the early dawn of our Republic, when men were 
chosen not because they wanted the office but be- 
cause the office wanted them. Judge Willard had 
never been a member either of the State or National 
legislature ; he was engaged in writing law-books, 
and his feeble health required the comforts of home ; 
but deeply anxious for the fate of his beloved 



STATE SENATOR. 3S7 



country, when he heard her voice, he obeyed. 
The voters of his district were divided into three 
parties. He was nominated by each, and voted for 
by all. 

'' When in the Legislature," says Mrs. Emma Wil- 
lard in her Reminiscences, '' his gray hairs were seen 
as punctually moving to his morning seat in the 
Senate chamber, as were the dark-brown locks of 
his youth to the recitation hall of Middlebury College. 
The oldest man in the Legislature — there by an ex- 
traordinary event — the unanimous call of his whole 
district — having for thirty years been looked up to 
as a judge, courteous, kind, and just — he was now, 
by his associates, treated with unwonted respect, 
mingled with filial tenderness. Thus, the Senate, 
seeking to honor him and avail themselves of his 
legal ability, placed him on the Judiciary Committee, 
expecting him to undertake the important work 
of remodelling the criminal law, yet considerately for- 
bearing; to tax him with such minor cares as must 
fall upon the chairman of the committee. In form- 
ing the law to amend the criminal code, he was but 
carrying out, as a legislator, views concerning crimi- 
nal jurisprudence which as a judge he had pre- 
viously matured. The bill reported on the 7th of 
February, 1862, was every word written by his own 
hand ; and both Houses passed it without debate. 
After the adjournment of the Senate, he was still 
laboring: in the business of the committee, at his own 



388 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

house, to form a satisfactory plan for settling the 
great and difficult question of the chancery fund. 
The pile of sheets he had written over, he showed 
me as they lay on his office table the week before 
he was stricken down. He was pleased v/ith the 
progress he had made, and confident in the hope 
that he should have his report completed in season. 
As the Governor of the State was known to place 
high value on his judgment, men of his district who 
were candidates for office, and could show evidence 
of fitness, resorted to him for recommendations. In 
giving these, party considerations had no place. 
Feeble as he then was, it was affecting to see with 
what cheerfulness and courtesy he listened to their 
statements, and gave them his advice and assistance. 
' I owe it to them,' he said, ' they all voted for me.' 
Thus was he laboring incessantly in the duties of 
his high station : and in life's battle he died with 
his armor on." 

Judge Willard was married, in 1829, to Eliza 
Smith, "the woman," as Mrs. Willard remarks, "of 
all others best suited to be his wife." Their only 
child was a lovely daughter, whose understanding it 
was his delight to cultivate, as it was her mother's 
to superintend her accomplishments — particularly 
music. Perfect domestic concord blessed this 
amiable household ; and dark was the sorrow that 
overshadowed it when the beloved dauf^hter was 
taken away by death. 



DEATH OF JUDGE WILLARD. 



389 



" There was an open grave — and many an eye 
Looked down upon it. Slow the sable hearse 
Moved on — as if reluctantly it bore 
The young, unwearied form, to that cold couch 
Which age and sorrow render sweet to man." 

The mother, not well before, gradually gave way 
under the shock. She died six years after, in the 
autumn of 1859. 

Judge Willard never recovered from his loss; and 
although he lived a few years afterward constantly 
in the harness, and with his mental vigor to the last 
unabated, yet nature finally gave way ; and on Sun- 
day, the 31st day of August, 1862, Judge Willard — 
whose life had ever been guided by the precepts of 
the Gospel, and whose last hours were cheered by 
the hopes of the Christian — expired after a mortal 
illness of twelve days. 

Although his decease occurred in a period of great 
national excitement, when the loss of an individual, 
however exalted in position, seemed to attract less 
attention than in ordinary times, yet the death of 
one who for more than forty years had filled offices 
of high honor and public trust with signal ability 
and integrity, and whose private life was singularly 
pure and blameless, spread a great sorrow over the 
hearts of the people of the State. Public and pri- 
vate bodies at once united in paying honors to his 
memory. The Senate of the State of New York 
passed appropriate resolutions, and voted to wear 



^QO REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



the insignia of mourning for the period of a week. 
In Saratoga, also, where he had Hved honored and 
beloved for so many years, a meeting of the bar was 
called at which feeling addresses were made by Wm. 
L. F. Warren, the late R. H. Walworth, O. L. Bar- 
bour, Judiah Ellsworth, Joseph A. Shoudy, and 
James P. Butler. He was buried from his residence 
the following Wednesday, and laid by the side of 
those whom in life he had loved so well, in the 
beautiful Greenridge Cemetery. 

As an advocate, a judge, a legislator, he was alike 
eminent and accomplished ; in his private life, irre- 
proachable and blameless ; and seldom has it fallen to 
the lot of men to acquire and leave behind them such 
an honorable and unsullied name. 

In closing, I would express the hope that days like 
those when our Judiciary was presided over by such 
men as Kent and Cowen, and Walworth and Willard, 
will yet be restored, and the bench of New York 
be cleansed from all impurity. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

William Hay. 

' Though I look old, yet am I strong and lusty, 
For in my youth I never did apply 
Hot and rebellious liquors in my blood : 
Nor did I with unbashful forehead woo 
The means of weakness and debility ; 
Therefore my age is a lusty winter. 
Frosty, but kindly," ' — Shakspere. 

TT riLLIAM HAY- — long a loved and rever- 
^ » ed resident of Saratoga Springs — was of 
Scotch extraction, his ancestors havinc: been amonfr 
the earliest cf that hardy band of Scotch adventurers 
who hewed them out a home in the wilderness, 
on the eastern confines of Charlotte County, about 
a century ago.f He was a blood relation of the late 
Henry Hay of Ticonderoga, and of Colonel Udney 
Hay, who held important relations to the American 
army of the Revolution. He was born in the year 
1790, in Cambridge, Washington County, N. Y., and 

* For the greater portion of this sketch the author is indebted to the History 0/ 
the Town of Qtieensberry\ by Dr. A. M'. Holden of Glen's Falls. This work, which 
is most exhaustive in reference to the subject of which it treats, should be in the 
library of every scholar in the United States Too much praise cannot be awarded 
to it. 

t Charlotte County at that time included the present counties of Albany, Saratoga, 
Washington, and Warren. 

391 



392 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



his early training was in the straight and narrow 
ways of Scotch Presbyterianism. About the begin- 
ning of the present century, his father, WilHani Hay, 
came to Glen's Falls, where he embarked in the 
lumber business, and erected a store — the first build- 




Glsrlfs Falls. 



ing put up on the site, now (1875) occupied by 
Pearsell & Coolidge as a clothing store. For a 
time he carried on an extensive trade, but he 
was ultimately unsuccessful, and the property 
passed into the hands of John A. Ferris and others. 
Amid these reverses, however, the son struggled 
nobly on unaided in the acquirement of an education 



SOLDIER AND PATRIOT. 



393 



— his advantages being of the scantiest, both as 
regards quaHty and opportunity. In iSoS he was 
pursuing the study of the kiw in the office of Henry 
O. Martindale, near the site of '' VerniilUa's Block," 
in Glen's Falls. In 1812 he opened an office for the 
practice of his profession in Caldwell, at the head of 
Lake George. 

Always intensely patriotic, when the War of 181 2 
came, he left his office, ^nd, doffing the gown for the 
sword, he marched, as lieutenant commanding, at the 
head of a rifle company (raised in a great measure 
through his efforts) to Plattsburg, but did not reach 
the place in time to participate in that celebrated 
action, which contributed so largely to the final suc- 
cess of the American arms in the second great struggle 
with England. He was also one of the volunteers in 
the unfortunate expedition to Carthagena, pending 
which he spent a winter in Philadelphia, where he be- 
came practically familiar with and an adept in the 
printer's art. In 1 819, he became the proprietor and 
publisher of the Warren Patriot, the first and only 
newspaper ever published at Lake George. About 
the same time, also, he delivered at a Fourth-of-July 
celebration at Caldwell a poem to the people dwelling 
in the vicinity of Hadley Falls and in Warren County. 
This was published, and was remarkable— especially at 
that early period — for its enunciation of those broad 
principles of human rights and liberties which, forty 
years later, became the corner-stone of the Republican 



394 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



party. In 1822 he removed to Glen's Falls and re- 
sumed the practice of law, and in 1827 was elected to 
the Assembly from Warren County. A doggerel 
verse, modelled after "• Mother Goose," and which 




Hadlcy Falls. 

commemorates the spirit of that campaign, runs as 
follows : 

" In Warren County lived a Fox* 
And he was wondrous wise ; 



♦ Norman Fox, his opponent, who was thrice elected to the Assembly, viz., 1819, 
1820, 1830. Afterwards he became a Baptist minister at Ballston, N. Y. See note to 
Chapter XVIII 



PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS. 395 



He ran against a load of Hay, 
And scratched out both his e5'es. 

" The Quakermen were marshalled out, 
All headed by John A. * 
With long-tailed coats and broad-brimmed hats. 
A-fighting Billy Hay." 

Soon after his return from the Legislature he 
issued a thin duodecimo volume of poetry, entitled 
Isabel Davolos, the Maid of Seville. In the spring of 
1837 he removed to Ballston, at the same time retain- 
ing a branch office in the village of Glen's Falls. In 
1840 he transferred his residence to Saratoga Springs, 
where he remained up to the time of his decease. Of 
several published works of his, the one which has at- 
tained the widest circulation is A History of Tem- 
perance in Saratoga County. 

Of Judge Hay, personally, I am enabled to speak 
confidently, having been honored by an acquaintance 
with him of many years. He was a man of singularly 
temperate habits — so much so, indeed, as to have 
been accused by his political opponents of fanaticism. 
He was a person of firm convictions, very decided, if 
a necessity arose, in his expression of them ; possess- 
ing also a remarkable love of truth, he was, like Dr. 
Steel, an intense hater of shams. Indeed, this latter 
trait was oftentimes the cause of his losing wealthy 



* John A. Ferris, the father of Hon. Orange Ferris, and at this time postmaster of 
the village. 



396 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

clients, since his plain speaking regarding the justice 
of their claims was, in many instances, extremely un- 
palatable. In his treatment, however, of those who 
won his respect by sterling qualities of character, no 
one could be more tender and sympathetic. His in- 
tercourse with youth, especially, was ever marked by 
a peculiarly courteous and genial manner. His be- 
nevolence and kindness of heart were great ; and yet 
so unobtrusively were his acts of kindness performed 
that, in this world at least, it will never be known 
liovv many people he has assisted both by practical 
advice and by substantial pecuniary benefits.'^ Far, 
moreover, from possessing that narrow professional 
jealousy which too frequently mars an otherwise ex- 
cellent character, he was ever willing to give advice to 
his brothers of the bar, and allow them to gather 
largely of the rich stores of his experience. He was 
likewise, as Dr. Holden truly says : " A man of exten- 
sive reading and vast erudition ; not a little tenacious 
of his opinions and views, some of which bordered 
upon eccentricity. But few of the sterner sex ever 
possessed more delicate sensibilities, keener percep- 
tions, or more rapid intuitions. In the later decades 



* I have in my mind now two instances : one, who having been elected lieutenant 
in the late war, and having nothing wherewith to purchase a sword or an outfit, 
was enabled to go with his company to the seat of war by the private liberality of 
Judge Hay, who supplied, at some inconvenience to himself, the entire outfit ; the 
other, a poor woman, to whom he gave the entire proceeds of one of his works — 
having, indeed, written it with that specific object 



LATER YEARS. 307 



of his life he became a bold and fearless advocate of 
temperance. His delight and recreation, however, 
were drawn through the flowery, though not thornless 
paths of poetry and romance. His memory was some- 
thing extraordinary, his industry in research indefati- 
gable, and his mind was stored with the choicest cull- 
ings from the wide fields of literature and belles- 
lettres. In American history he was a standard au- 
thority, to whom it was safe to refer at a moment's 
warning, and in the matter of local history his mind 
was an exhaustless treasury." 

His was also, in the true sense of the term, 2i green 
old age. Although more than eighty years of age at 
the time of his death, his most intimate associates 
could not have detected that fact by any failure either 
in his mental or physical powers. His death, wliich 
occurred on the evening of Sunday, the I2th of Feb- 
ruary, 1870, while attending service at the Baptist 
church in Saratoga Springs, was sudden. Like a 
shock of corn fully ripe, but with no signs of decay, 
he was cut down by the Reaper. Even up to the da)- 
of his death, he was engaged upon, and had nearly 
completed, his historical novel — the incidents of wliich 
were founded upon the campaign of General Bur- 
goyne. 

While practising law at Caldwell, and early in the 
winter of 1 8 16-17, Judge Hay was married to a 
daughter of Stephen Paine of Northumberland, Sara- 



398 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



toga County, N. Y., by whom he had eight children, 
five of whom yet survive.* 

" Peace to tne memory of a man of worth, 
A man of letters and of manners too. 
. . . . Was honored, loved, and wept, 
By more than one." 



* Of his two daughters, one is the wife of Hon. Judge Bockes, of Saratoga Springs, 
and the other is the wife of Hon, James B. McKean, late Chief- Justice of Utah Terri- 
tory. 



T 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

The Early Settlement of Ballston, 

" Methinks I hear the sound of time long past 
Still murmuring o'er me, and whispering in 
The following pages — like the lingering voices 
Of those who long within their graves have slept." 

HE town of Ballston derives its name from the 
Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Presbyterian clergyman, 
and third cousin of President Washington, who, in 
1770, removed from Bedford, Westchester County, 
N. Y., and settled on what has since been the farm 
of the late Colonel Samuel Young, near the old 
''Academy Hill." A lot of five hundred acres, em- 
bracing this farm, was presented to him, as an induce- 
ment to settle by the proprietors of the '' Five-Mile 
Square." This tract, comprising the present town of 
Ballston (except a small strip at the southern ex- 
tremity), together with the '' Five-Thousand Acre 
Tract " — now constituting the south part of Charlton 
—was set apart by Christopher Yates, John Glen, and 
Thomas Palmer, the Commissioners for making a par- 
tition and survey of the ** Kayaderosseras Patent," 
'' to defray the expenses thereof." They accordingly 
selected what, as after events proved, they correctly 
judged to be the most valuable land in the Patent. 

399 



400 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Rev. Mr. Ball was accompanied by several of his 
congregation from Bedford, and also from Stamford,"^ 
the adjoining town into which his parish extended. 
He brought with him his three sons, Stephen, John, 
and Flamen, and a daughter Mary, who was after- 




First Settlement o/ Balhton. 

v/ards married to General James Gordon, of Revolu- 
tionary fame. John, subsequently known as Colonel 
Ball, held a commission in Colonel Wynkoop's Regi- 
ment in the War of Independence, and, as lieutenant, 
inarched out under General Arnold to the relief of 
Fort Stanwix. He thus identified himself with the 



* It is worthy of note how many of the first settlers of Saratoga and Ballston came 
from this section of the country. — See Sketch of Waterbury. 



THE McDonald farm. aq ^ 



primary cause of the downfall of British supremacy in 
America, since the raising of that siege gave to Gates 
and Arnold the chief troops by which they were en- 
abled to conquer Burgoyne. He was also the first Su- 
pervisor of Milton (which was taken from Ballston in 
1792), and represented Saratoga County in the As- 
sembly of 1793-4. The first "meeting-house" in 
Ballston was erected under the auspices of Rev. Mr. 
Ball. It was afterwards known as the " Academx'," 
and was demolished several years since — though the 
writer, who in his boyhood attended the school of 
Rev. Hiram W. Bulkley near by, still has a vivid 
remembrance of its antique appearance, and the 
traditions which, to the youthful mind, invested it 
with something of the supernatural. Rev. Mr. B.ill 
died in 1795. 

The only settlement that had oeen made when Mr. 
Ball arrived, was upon the '' McDonald Farm," on the 
west bank of '* Long Lake." Two brothers, Michael * 
and Nicholas McDonald, natives of Ireland, were, 
when boys, enticed on board of a vessel in the Liffey, 
brought to Philadelphia, and there sold for a term of 
years to defray the expenses of their passage, f In 
1763, they" squatted " on this spot and made a clear- 
ing (afterwards, however, obtaining a deed), and were 

*It was this same one who, it will be remembered, piloted Sir Wm. Johnson, in 
1767, to the High Rock Spring. 

t For a fuller exposition of this nefarious custom the reader is referred to Charles 
Reade's novel, The Lost Heir. The title of the McDonald farm is still on file in 
Albany. Sir William Johnson assisted them in procuring it ; hence their aid to him. 



402 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

the only white residents nearer than those of the 
Mohawk Valley until the arrival of Rev. Mr. Ball. 
On the route of the McDonald boys from Schenec- 
tady, a point from which they started to penetrate 
the wilderness, they crossed a tract that had recently 
been burned over by the Indians for a deer pasture. 
To it they gave the name of '' Burnt Hills," a name 
which yet designates the southern part of Ballston, 
and where there is still a post-office of that name. 
Michael McDonald lived to the hale old age of ninety- 
three, remaining on the farm until his death, which 
took place January 29, 1823. 

Soon after the arrival of Rev. Mr. Ball and the 
members of his congregation, other settlers moved in 
from New England, New Jersey, Scotland, and the 
north of Ireland. Among those from New England 
were Beriah Palmer, Epenetus White, Nathan Ray- 
mond, Thomas and Jesse Smith, David How, Elipha- 
let Kellogg, Joseph Morehouse (father of the present 
Talcot Morehouse), Thaddeus Scribner, McDaniel, 
Edward A. Watrous, Capt. Stephen White, Paul 
Pierson, Capt. Tyrannus Collins, Hezekiah Middle- 
brook, Stephen and Enoch Wood, Thaddeus Betts, 
Elisha Benedict, John Higby, Edmund Jennings, 
- Samuel Nash, Joseph Bettys, and his son ** Joe 
Bettys," afterwards the notorious partisan and ma- 
rauder. The McCreas came from Leamington, New 
Jersey, as also Andrew Mitchell, Robert Speir and his 
two sons, Archibald and James, and the Frazers came 



EARLY SETTLERS. 403 



from Scotland. * Several of the Scotch immigrants 
settled in the '* Scotch Bush " north of the '* Burnt 
Hills," while others located in " Paisley Street " (the 
road now leading from West Milton to Schenectady) 
so named in honor of their native town. General 
James Gordon, f George Scott, Francis Hunter, and 
the three Kennedy brothers were natives of the north 
of Ireland. 

The Rev. Mr. Ball left a son — the late Colonel 



* Of this list Beriah Palmer was a representative in the Eighth Congress, and a 
member of the New York Assembly from 1792 to 1796 ; Epenetus White was a Judge 
of the County Court ; Edward A. Watrous was a member of the Assembly in 1800 
and 1802 ; and Andrew Mitchell also a member of Assembly in 1792. The McCreas 
were the brothers of Jane McCrea of Revolutionary fame. Thaddeus Scribner saw 
Burgoyne lay down his arms. He was a mail contractor from 1800 to 1832, carrying 
the mails from Schenectady to Ballston and Saratoga, and thence to Hadley and 
Luzerne, He carried the first mail ever taken to Saratoga, carrying it once a week, 
and daily for three months in a year to Ballston — the remaining months carrj-ing it for 
four days in a week. He sometimes went with a carriage, taking passengers. " Uncle 
Thad," as he was called, used the old fashioned " postman's horn," and when he came 
in hearing, " There is Uncle Thad's horn," was a common expression. He was a 
Revolutionary soldier, and served under Col. Marinus Willet. Bom in Fairfield 
County, Conn., he died at Ballston in 1845. 

+ James Gordon had, for several years previously, been an Indian trader at Detroit 
and Schenectady. (See Stone's Life of Sir William Johnson^ Bart.) He was bom 
at Killead, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1739. During the American Revolution he 
held the commission of Colonel of militia and saw much active service. He was also 
a representative in the Second and Third Congress, a State Senator from 1797-1804, 
and a County Judge. He was likewise the first Supervisor of Ballston. He died there 
in 1810 The first death that occurred in Ballston (commemorated by a gravestone) 
is that of his mother " Martha, relict of Alexander Gordon," who died in 1775. She 
was the great-grandmother of the present Hon. George G. Scott, of Ballston. A sister 
of Gen. Gordon was the wife of Wm McCrea, of Ballston. a brother of the unfor- 
tunate Jane McCrea. Miss McCrea had also another and older brother— Col. John 
McCrea— who resided at this time in Albany, and with whom she lived. At the time 
of her tragical death she was on a visit to Fort Edward. 



404 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



Ball — who was a remarkably intelligent man, and 
preserved to the end of his life an exceedingly reten- 
tive memory. In 1842, the late Theodore D wight 
visited Ballston, and received from him some in- 
teresting reminiscences of the early days of the place. 
** At the time of my father's first coming to Ballston," 
said Colonel Ball to Mr. Dwight, ** the low grounds 
near the Springs were covered with a forest, and 
the old Spring — the only one then known — was over- 
flown by the brook when it was much swollen by the 
rain.* The deer used to come and lick at the Spring, 
and I have been there in my youth to ambush 
and shoot them. It was not uncommon, then, to 
meet deer when looking for stray cattle ; and the 
Indians often came from Oneida to hunt in bodies 
of two or three hundred. No Indians, however, 
had their residence in this vicinity. My father, at 
an interview with Sir William Johnson, heard from 
him the particulars of the wound which he received 
at the battle of Lake George in 1755, which was 
in the front part of the thigh, and remained open 
until he died. I dined with him in a large marquee 
pitched on the level border of Ballston Lake. Near 
the same place was the log-cabin of the McDonalds, 



* This Spring (afterwards known as the " Iron Railing Spring," and " The Public 
Well") was discovered in 1770 by Hon. Beriah Palmer while engaged in surveying the 
line between the X I Vth Allotment and the "Five Mile Square" during the parti- 
tion of the Kayaderosseras Patent. Frenclt's New York Gazetteer (i860) puts the 
date of its discovery a year earlier, viz., 1769. The date 1770, given to the author by 
Hon. George G Scott is, however, probably the correct one. 



THE McDonalds' cabin. 



405 



who had settled there about seven years before my 
father's arrival." * 

For a long time after the discovery of the Spring, 
the accommodations for visitors were of the poorest 
description. In 1790, Elkanah Watson, writing of 







The McDonalds' Cabin, 



his visit to Ballston in that year, says: " From Sara- 
toga I proceeded to Tryon's, a low, one-story tavern 
on a hill in Ballston. At the foot of this hill I found 



* Writing still further upon Ballston, Mr. Dwight continues : " A few years ago a 
small image of a man made, I think, of bone, with garnets for eyes, was found ncai 
Ballston Lake, bearing a strong resemblance, in form and appearance, to those that 
have been taken from some of the Western mounds, and tending to confuse us 
still more in our conjectures about the origin of the former inhabitants of this part 
of the QOWTitty y —Summer Tozirs^ by Theodore Dwight. 



406 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

an old barrel with the staves open, stuck into the 
mud in the midst of a quagmire, surrounded by trees, 
stumps, and logs. This was the Ballston Spring.* 1 
observed two or three ladies walking along a fallen 
tree to reach the fountain, and was disgusted to see 
as many men washing their loathsome sores near the 
barrel. There was also a shower-bath, with no pro- 
tection except a bower of bushes. Tryon's was the 
only public-house, no buildings having been erected 
below the hill. The largest number of visitors at one 
period, the past summer, had been ten or twelve, and 
these were as many as could be accommodated." f 
Fifteen years, however, produced a change in the 
surroundings of Ballston almost as marvellous as any 
ever wrought by Aladdin's lamp. In 1805 Mr. 
Watson again visited Ballston, of which visit he writes 
as follows : 

'* We left Albany on the 19th of August, and the en- 
suing day reached the * Sans Souci,' in Ballston, amid 
scenes of elegance and gayety. We seated ourselves 
at a sumptuous table, with about one hundred guests 
of all classes, but generally, from their appearance and 
deportment, of the first respectability, assembled here 
from every part of the Union and from Europe, in 

* This agrees with Mrs. Dwight's account. — See Chapter III, 
t Compare this statement with the following extract from the Ballston Spa Ga- 
zette of August 12, 1822 : '' There are at present in the village, the Spanish minister, 
Chevalier de Anduaga and suite ; the British minister, Mr. Canning and suite ; and 
the ex-king of Spain, Joseph Bonaparte and suite. His excellency Governor Clinton 
and the other Canal Commissioners had a meeting in this village last week." 



THE SANS SOUCl. ^q; 



the pursuit of health or pleasure, of matrimony or of 
vice. This is the most splendid watering-place in 
America, and scarcely surpassed in Europe in its 
dimensions and the taste and elef^ance of its arrann-e- 
ment. The building contains almost one hundred 
apartments, all respectably furnished. The plan upon 
which it is constructed, the architecture, the style of 
the outbuildings, and the gravel walks girded with 
shrubbery — are all on a magnificent scale. What a 
contrast has the progress of fifteen years, since I was 
here in 1790, produced! Where the 'Sans Souci ' * 
now stands, was then almost an impenetrable quag- 
mire, enveloped in trees, and deformed by stumps 
and fallen logs. A single, one-story house, situated 
upon the hill which overlooked this desolate valley, 
was the only public accommodation and, although 



* The " Sans Souci " was built in 1803 by Andrew Berger, a French refugee, after 
the design of the palace at Versailles, and opened by him in 1804. In 184 y it passed 
into the hands of John W. Fowler, who occupied it until 1853 as a " State and Natienal 
lav/ school." In 1854 it was re-opened as a hotel, and under several managers re- 
mained such until 1862, when it was converted into the "Sans Souci Ladies' Semin- 
ary." It is now (1875) again kept as a hotel. Its hospitable roof has sheltered John 
C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren and his son Prince John, R. Barnwell Khett the elder, 
General Wool, Franklin Piejce, J. Fenimore Cooper Washington Irving, Commo- 
dores Hull, Decatur and McDonougJi, General Dix, Charles OTonor, Bishop B T. 
Onderdonk, Jerome Bonaparte, Louis Napoleon, then an obscure princeling, and 
many others well known in the world's history. While the law school had an exist- 
ence, its walls echoed the brilliant rhetoric and burning eloquence of Henry Clay, as 
he delivered his memorable address to a graduating class, and through them, for the 
last time, to the young men of America. Here also, in i3j7, on the anniversary of the 
nation's independence, while a guest at the hotel, the veteran statesman William L. 
Marcy closed his useful life, dying suddenly in his room alone, of heart disease.— E. 
R. Mann's Ballston Past and Present, 



408 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



at the height of the season, was occupied by six or 
eight families. 

*' In the evening we attended a ball in a spacious 
hall, brilliantly illuminated with chandeliers, and 
adorned with various other appliances of elegance 
and luxury. Here was congregated a fine exhibition 
of the beau monde. A large proportion of the assem- 
bly was from the Southern States, and distinguished 
by their elegant and polished manners. In the place 
of the old-fashioned country dances and four-hand 
reels of Revolutionary days, I was pleased to notice 
the advance of refined customs, and the introduc- 
tion of the graces of Paris in the elegant cotillion 
and quadrille. At table I was delighted in observing 
the style and appearance of the company, males and 
females intermixed in the true French usage of sans 
souci. The board was supplied with the luxuries of 
more sunny climes. There was a large display of 
servants, hands'omely attired, while the music of a 
choice band enlivened the festivities. In the after- 
noon we arrived at Congress Hall, in Saratoga. This 
is a large hotel, three stories high, with galleries in 
front but far inferior to the 'Sans Souci' in dimen- 
sions and appearance." * 

In the matter of baths also, the village soon im- 
proved. In 1828, James Stewart, an English traveller. 



* My attention was first directed to this Journal of Mr. Watson by Dr. A. W. 
Holden, of Glen's Falls, N. Y., to whom I an\ greatly indebted for important sugges- 
tions. 



MRS. MACM ASTER'S BOARDING-HOUSE. 40Q 



who is quoted at length in Chapter XV., visited 
Ballston and wrote as follows : 

*' On the 31st of October we changed our quarters 
from Saratoga Springs to Ballston Spa, in a pleasant 
situation, in a hollow surrounded on all sides by high 
grounds. The Kayaderosseras, a small river, runs 
through the village, which contains 800 or 1000 people. 

*' There are only two great hotels here, the * Sans 
Souci,' which is on the largest scale, and Mr. Ald- 
ridge's.* There are several small hotels and board- 
ing-houses. The baths are as good as at Saratoga 
Springs. We are in the boarding-house of Mrs. 
Macmaster, one of the most comfortable we have 
seen in this country. The house is managed by 
herself, two daughters, and a little girl. Everything 
good of its kind ; poultry, the best that we have 
met with ; dinners well cooked, and coffee as well 
prepared as by the best restaurateurs in the Palais 
Royal. The charge, four dollars per week. But 
this is not the gay season, when the rate is of course 
greater. 

'• There is nothing to find fault with, excepting 
that now, when the nights are becoming cold, the 
beds are without curtains, and the bed-rooms 
barely furnished. Mr. Brown, an attorney and 
counsellor here, and an exceedingly well informed 



* This house was bmlt in 1797, and kept for several years by Benijah Douglas, the 
grandfather of the great Illinois senator. 



41 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



man, is a permanent boarder in the house. * 
Law-suits are very cheaply and expeditiously 
brought to a conclusion in the County Court — so 
cheaply that legal means of redress are, really and 
truly, equally open to all. Mr. Brown was a day 
absent while we were here, attending an inquest of 
lunacy on a person of some property. The whole 
expense of the proceedings from beginning to end, 
in which the lunacy was established, would not, 
he said, cost above sixty dollars — a sum differing 
too widely from the ;^8,ooo, the amount of taxed 
costs in the recent proceedings for establishing Lord 
Portsmouth's mental incapacity, not to furnish mat- 
ter for serious reflection. There is too much truth 
in the statement of the ruinous expenses of law pro- 
ceedings in England which a lady of high rank, in 
one of her late novels, put into the mouth of a man 
of wealth, who was seeking for means of revenge 
against an individual to whom fortune had not 
been so bountiful. ' Right or wrong, is it not your 
opinion that I can force him to law with me, and 
so ruin him ? Nothing is easier than that.* 

" There is an Episcopal Church here. The clergy- 
man has an establishment for educating young 
men [Dr. Babcock]. A person belonging to his 



♦ This Mr. Brown afterward married one of these "two daughters." He was 
Anson Brown, an alumnus of Union College, and was elected to Congress as a Whig, 
in 1838, over Nicholas Hill, Jr., the Democratic candidate. He died in 1840. His 
widow and daughter yet (1S75) reside at Ballston. 



SUB-DIVISION OF THE TOWN. 411 



church died while we were here, in consequence 
of swallowing a poisonous drug, instead of the medi- 
cine ordered by the physician, and was buried in 
the same way as in the case mentioned at Saratoga 
Springs. The funeral was not on a Sunday ; but 
there was a previous sermon in the church.'* 

The settlement was for some time known as the 
Ball Town District, and when organized into a town 
of Albany County in 1775, by the name of Ball's 
Town, it embraced the towns of Ballston, Milton, 
Charlton, Galway, Providence, Edinburgh, Day, Had- 
ley, and most of Greenfield and Corinth. The town 
remained undivided until 1792, when it was sub- 
divided into four towns, viz., Ballston, Milton, 
Galway, and Charlton — the other towns above men- 
tioned being subsequently taken from Milton and 
Galway. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 
The Tory Invasio/t of 1780, and the Gotizalez Tragedy, 

" O what are these ? 
Death's ministers, not men ; who thus deal death 
Inhumanly to men, and multiply 
Ten thousand fold the sin of him who slew 
His brother." — MiLTON. 

" O war ! thou son of hell ! 
Whom angry heavens do make their minister." 

IT would have been strange if the Httle settlement 
of Ball's Town, lying directly on the route be- 
tween Lake George and Schenectady, had escaped 
the calamities incident to war. Nor did she. During 
the Revolution two separate tragedies were enacted 
within her borders, the first of which was 

The Tory Invasion of 1780. 

On the afternoon of October 6, 1780, a band of two 
hundred Regulars and Indians from Canada landed on 
the shore of BuUwagga Bay (Lake Champlain) ; and, 
gaided through the woods by several young refugees 
from the Ball-Town district, by way of the head- 
waters of the Sacandaga, suddenly made their appear- 
ance in the settlement on the night of the i6th. 
They were composed in part of Sir John Johnson's 

corps of rangers, and commanded by Captain Munro, 

412 



THE INVADERS AT BALL'S TOWN. 



413 



a former merchant in Schenectady. The original de- 
sign of the expedition was an attack upon Schencc- 




Headtuaters 0/ the Sacanda^a. 



tady, but on arriving in the neighborhood of Ball's 
Town it was deemed prudent to abandon the idea.* 



* This party was a portion of the force of 1,000 men which, in the fall of 1780, 
Governor Carleton sent from Canada to attack the frontier settlements, under the 
command of his nephew, Major Carleton. Two hundred of these, as mentioned in the 
text, landed at Bulwagga Bay, and then proceeded to Ballston, crossing the Sacan- 
daga River near the mouth of Daly's Creek. The larger portion, under Carleton, 
sailed up the lake to Skeensborough (Whitehall^, and thence to Fort Anne, wkich was 
taken and destroyed. A detachment was sent from this point across by the " French 
Mountain," and by a stratagem took Fort George and burned it, capturing prisoners 
at both forts, and returned to Hulwagga Bay before the Ballston party returned. 
The father of Hon. George G. Scott, of Ballston, was told the above facts by Na- 
thaniel Mitchell and James Lighthill, who were both captured at l-brt Anne on this 
occasion. The author has reason to suppose, from his other historical investigations, 
that the route pursued by the Ballston party was the same as that t.-iken by Sir John 
Johnson, viz, by the foot of "Crane Mountain," near Warrensburgh, Warren 
County, N. Y. ; and thence across the Sacandaga, and through the woods by 
Lake Desolation to Ballston.— See Life 0/ Sir William Johmon^ Bart , Ap- 
pendix. 



414 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 



At the time there was a fort at what has since been 
known as the *' Academy Hill," situated on the south- 
west corner of the square, upon the spot where Peter 
Roe formerly lived. It was constructed of oak logs, 
surrounded with pickets, and contained loop-holes 
for musketry. 

The enemy lay encamped for several days in the 
north-west part of the present town of Milton, during 
which time they made themselves, through their 
scouts, thoroughly acquainted with the condition of 
the fort. To their surprise they found that it had re- 
cently been garrisoned by two hundred militia, chiefly 
from Schenectady. This information changed mate- 
rially their plans ; and, accordingly, they directed 
their first attack upon the house of General Gordon, 
on the Middle Line road.* At about dusk of the 
evening preceding their appearance at Gordon's, the 
party halted at the house of a Scotch Highlander, in 
Paisley Street, named Angus McDiarmid, father of 
the late John McDiarmid. The Indians were greatly 
delighted by turning a spinning-wheel, which Mrs. 
McDiarmid had just been using. The house was so 
crowded that the floor gave way, and all were precipi- 
tated into the cellar. 

At early daybreak the following morning, the party 
were again in motion. They were piloted from the 
four corners, west of the old Court House Hill, by a 

* This house stood upon the spot where Major Skinner afterwards lived, being the 
farm lately owned by William Gordon Ver Planck, and now by Henry Wiswell, Jr. 



STOPPED AT TWELVE. 



415 



Tory named McDonald, who lived in the vicinity. 
Gordon was roused from his slumbers by the break- 
ing of the windows of his sleeping-room by bayonets 
thrust through them. He sprang from his bed, in 
which lay his wife and child,* and went into the hall, 
which by this time was filled with the enemy. As 
he opened the door, a gigantic savage raised his toma- 
hawk, but before the blow could descend upon his head, 
the arm of the Indian was caught by one of the officers 
in command. At this moment the brass clock in the 
hall struck the hour of twelve, whereupon an Indian 
standing near shattered it in pieces with his toma- 
hawk, exclaiming, as he did so, ** You never speak 
again ! " A scene of indiscriminate pillaging now fol- 
lowed, the squaws especially, who accompanied the 
party, distinguishing themselves in this part of the 
performance, and retiring heavily loaded with plun- 
der. The Indians then attempted to fire the house 
and the barn, but were prevented by the whites in 
the party. Gordon, Jack Calbraith and John Parlow, 
servants, and Nero, Jacob and Ann, negro slaves, 
were carried off prisoners. As they were proceeding 
toward the main road they were met by Stow, Gor- 
don's miller, who, having escaped from his own house, 
came running toward them, exclaiming, "Colonel 
Gordon, save yourself! The Indians!" Perceiving 



* Mrs. Ver Planck, afterwards Mrs. Waller, who died in Brooklyn, September 4, 
1857. She furnished Hon. Judge Scott with the particulars of what took place at hei 
father's, and also with many incidents that occurred during his captivity, 



41 6 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

the party moving toward him, he hesitated a moment, 
then turned to the left and ran. An Indian, however, 
intercepted him, pierced him with a pike, and de- 
spatching him with his tomahawk, took his scalp. 
He thus lost his own life in generously attempting to 
save Gordon's. Captain Collins, who lived near by, 
was also taken. 

Proceeding up the Middle Line, they made prisoners 
of Thomas Barnum (who lived where Dorus Hicks now 
resides), Captain Elisha Benedict and his two sons — 
one of whom was Caleb * — Paul Pierson and his son 
John, Edward A. Watrous, and John Higby and his 
son Lewis — the latter residing where Pierson Ray- 
mond now lives. Moving farther up the road, a de- 
tachment of fifty left the main body, and proceeded 
to the house of George Scott, on the farm where his 
son, the late James Scott, lived and died. Mr. Scott 
being awakened by the violent barking of his watch- 
dog, sprung from his bed, seized his loaded rifle, and 
opened the outer door. He saw the column advanc- 
ing in the moonlight, and heard a voice exclaiming, 
" Scott, throw down your gun, or you are a dead 
man ! " Not instantaneously obeying the command, 
three Indians threw their tomahawks at his head, each 
one of which reached its aim, and he fell. They then 



* Caleb Benedict came back after the war, but soon returned to Canada. The In- 
dian who had captured him and guarded him during his captivity, heard of his re- 
turn, and called to see him, manifesting great affection for his former captive. He 
continued through life to send Caleb valuable presents. 



FIRE AND CAPTURE. 



417 



rushed upon him, and would have taken his scalp, had 
not Captain Frazer, an old neighbor, and Sergeant 
Staats Springstead, formerly his hired man, interfered, 
and with their swords kept the savages at bay. The 
house was then given up to pillage ; but Scott was 
left behind in, as was supposed, a dying condi- 
tion. Indeed, when this detachment reached the 
main body, the prisoners were informed that he was 
mortally wounded. He, however, ultimately recov- 
ered."^ 

After leaving Scott, the party proceeded to George 
Kennedy's. He was taken, and his house burned. 
The next house attacked was Jabez Patchin's, where 
Hiram Wood now (1875) lives. He was taken, but 
his son, Walter, and son-in-law, Enos Morehouse, 
jumped out of a back window and escaped. One 
Hollister, who lived a {^s^i rods north of Patchin, was 
also captured, and his house burned. Where the late 
Judge Thompson lived was the dwelling of Ebenezer 
Sprague. It also was fired, and he, with his two sons, 
were made prisoners. Thomas Kennedy, who lived 
opposite to Sprague, was also captured. Opposite to 
the present residence of Nathaniel Mann, his brother, 
John Kennedy, resided. He was intending to butcher 
his swine the following day, and had just arisen and 



*The late James Scott, then in his seventh year, saw and ever retained a vivid 
recollection of seeing his father's face covered with blood. He himself escaped in his 
night-clothes to the woods and remained concealed until the party left. He furnished 
his son, the present Hon. George G. Scott of Ballston, with most of the particulars of 
this sketch. He died January i8, 1857. 



41 8 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 

kindled a fire when he saw the light of Sprague's 
burning dwelling. Rightly conjecturing the cause, 
he extinguished his fire, and, with his wife, escaped 
by the rear door into the woods. Some of the 
enemy entered the house, but the darkness prevent- 
ing a search, they carried away but little. The dwell- 
ing was not burned. 

Enoch and Stephen Wood lived near the site of 
the late Presbyterian church. Their houses, and a 
barn contaiiling eight hundred bushels of wheat, were 
burned ; and Enoch and his hired man, named Fill- 
more, captured. This was the last clearing in that 
direction with one exception, and that was owned by 
a Tory. Fillmore, however, managed to escape be- 
fore the party had proceeded many rods. Elisha 
Benedict, and his three sons, Caleb, Elias and Felix, 
were also taken, together with John Davis, living near 
by. Joseph Morehouse, however, was more fortu- 
nate. Being lame, and at some distance from the 
house, he said: '' If I jnust go, I must get my horse." 
He then took his bridle, and started for his dwelling. 
When at a safe distance, he threw away his bridle and 
escaped.* 



* Nor was it during this Tory invasion alone that the settlers suffered from fear. 
When Mr. Warren B. B. Westcott, now of Saratoga Springs, was teaching school 
opposite the house of Mr. Talcott Morehouse, on the east side of Ballston Lake, he 
would point out to Mr Westcott the decaying stump of a tree in the ravine a short 
distance from the school-house, on "Morehouse Creek," and say: "There stood 
three or four young hemlocks, under whose branches, during the Tory Terror, my 
mother and Nathan Raymond's wife would hide themselves and their children in the 
night, expecting hourly to have their house burned to the ground." 



A BRUTAL ORDER. ^jg 



Each prisoner, with his hands tied, barefooted and 
but partly dressed, was guarded by two men with 
loaded muskets, one in front and the other in the 
rear. The weather was bitterly cold. George Ken- 
nedy's only covering was a sheet wrapped about him 
— added to which he suffered greatly from his foot, 
which he had cut a few days previously. It was day- 
light when the party crossed the Kayaderosseras at 
what is now Milton Centre. Upon crossing the 
spring brook, a few rods north of the former stream, a 
halt was ordered, that Captain Munro might address 
his men. He told them that in all probability they 
would be pursued ; and that he expected each man, 
upon the first intimation of such an event, even the 
firing of a gun, to kill his prisoner upon the spot. 
For this inhuman order, it is only just to mention 
that Munro, upon arriving at Montreal, was summa- 
rily dismissed from the service. 

The march was then resumed in the same order as 
before ; the prisoners, meanwhile, believing that a 
rescue would be attempted, looked for death at every 
moment. They feared that some of the Indians, 
anticipating a reward for scalps, would fall back and 
discharge a musket for the purpose of having Munro's 
order carried into effect. Arriving^ at length, at the 
foot of the Kayaderosseras Mountain, the party 
halted for breakfast, killing for this purpose the cattle 
and swine they had driven before them in their 
retreat. 



420 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



Ill the afternoon, having struck a well-beaten In- 
dian trail which crossed the Sacandaga river, near the 
mouth of Daley's creek, and along which they had 
passed on their march from Lake Champlain, they be- 
gan the ascent of the mountain. Before sunset they 




Lake Desolation. 



encamped for the night two miles northeast of Lake 
Desolation. Here Munro exhibited the first kindness 
toward the prisoners ; for — on George Kennedy, whose 
wounded foot had become greatly inflamed, begging 
to be killed on the spot — he permitted him, together 
with Ebenezer Sprague and Paul Pierson (both old 
men and nearly exhausted), to return. Previous to 
this incident, however, Gordon had managed to send 
a message to the troops at the fort, asking them to 



A TIMEL V DISCO VER Y. 42 I 



abandon all attempts at a rescue. His messenger 
met them, under command of Capt. Ball, near tlie 
site of the late Milton meeting-house, whereupon 
they returned to the fort. Had it not been for this 
timely forethought of Gordon, the probability is that 
a horrid butchery would have occurred. Later in the 
day, however, a party of volunteers was made up, 
consisting of Squire Patchin, Kenneth Gordon, and 
Caleb Holmes, and others from the present town of 
Charlton. Following on the trail of the retreating 
enemy they had just begun the ascent of the Kay- 
aderosseras Mountain when Kennedy, Sprague, and 
Pierson were perceived coming towards them. Not 
recognizing their old neighbors, but believing them 
to be the advanced guard of the enemy returning, 
they quietly filed off on each side of the path into the 
underbrush, it having been previously understood 
among themselves that at a given signal they should 
all fire together. Fortunately, just as the sign was 
about being made, they discovered their mistake; 
and, on being informed of Munro's brutal order, they 
also turned back and escorted the three in safety to 
their desolated homes. Nor was this the only narrow 
escape of these three men. Soon after their discharge 
by Munro, and while they were descending the 
mountain, six Indians stole away from the encamp- 
ment for the purpose of taking their scalps. The 
savages had just caught up with them when, espying 
the Carlton party ensconced in their ambush, they 



422 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



turned on their heels and fled. This incident was 
related by the Indians themselves to their captives 
during the march. 

Finally, on the eighth day after leaving Ball's 
Town, and seventh after crossing the Sacandaga 




The Sacandaga River. 

river, the enemy with their captives arrived, after 
much hardship, at BuUwagga Bay, and proceeded 
thence. in boats to Montreal. The prisoners were at 
first lodged in the Recollet Convent (a filthy place, 
abounding in vermin), but were shortly afterward 
transferred to a prison. Gordon at first was allowed 
to go out on bail, the latter being fixed at ^3,000 — 



ESCAPE FROM ISLE OF ORLEANS. a 2-1 



but after a few months he was taken to Quebec and 
kept in close confinement for two years, when he was 
again changed and conveyed to the Isle of Orleans. 

In the following May, 1781, the notorious Tory 
spy, Joe Bettys*— who was afterwards hung at Albany 
— with the aid of thirty refugees, made a raid on the 
Ball Town settlement and captured Samuel Nash, Con- 
sider Chard, Uri Tracey, Ephraim Tracey, and Samuel 
Patchin. They were all taken to Canada, except 
Nash, who escaped near Lake Desolation. At about 
the same time, also. Judge White, Capt. Ramsey, 
the two brothers Banta, and John Fulmer — all living 
on the east bank of Ballston Lake — were taken by a 
Tory officer named Waltermeyer and marched off to 
Canada. 

When Gordon was removed to the Isle of Orleans 
he found there Judge White, Higby, Enoch Wood, 
the two Bantas, and other Ball's Town prisoners. 
They all contrived to escape from the island, and, 
landing on the right bank of the river, made their 
way into the wilderness, preferring the companionship 
of hunger and wild beasts to the less merciful jailers 
whom they had left. Their stock of provisions soon 
gave out, and for several days berries and a species of 
mussel were their only food. Finally, arriving at the 



* The skull of Lovelace, another Ballston Tory and renegade, is now in the pos- 
session of George Strover, the father-in-law of Dr. C. H. Payn. He was hung on 
the bluff near the Schuyler mansion overlooking the scene of the "surrender," Mr. 
Strover's father witnessed the hanging. 



424 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA, 

head-waters of the St. Johns, they constructed a rude 
raft with their hatchets and floated down the river a 
considerable distance to a point whence they struck 
across to Passamaquoddy Bay. Here learning that 
peace had been declared, they proceeded to Halifax, 
whence they were brought by a cartel to Boston. 

Nearly three generations have passed away. Not 
even the child * before whose eyes those deeds of 
violence was performed of which the early Ballston 
settlers were the victims, survives to tell the tale.f 

The Gonzalez Tragedy. 

Although the country now forming the county of 
Saratoga was discovered as early as 1609, and 
although in the succeeding century its eastern and 
southern borders were sparingly settled along the 
borders of the Hudson and Mohawk valleys — yet 
the interior of the county remained a comparative 
wilderness, subject to the domain of the Iroquois and 

* Mrs. Elizabeth Watrous McMaster, mother of the late Robert P McMaster, of 
Ballston Spa, was the last survivor of those who were witnesses of this raid. She 
was a daughter of Edward A. Watrous, She died in the summer of 1870, in her ninety- 
first year. On the approach of the enemy, her mother escaped with her, then an infant, 
to the woods east of the house, and avoided capture. For several years she was the 
last connecting link in her native town with the exciting days of Munro's and Bettys' 
raids. 

t Hon. George Gordon Scott — to whom the writer is indebted for the incidents of 
this sketch — has in his possession the original diary kept by General Gordon during his 
captivity. It is to be hoped that Judge Scott will give this valuable document pub- 
licity through the pages of the Historical Magazine ^ or some other kindred publica- 
tion. 



Al^NElCE yANSEM. Alt 



the incursions of wild beasts, until after the Revo- 
lutionary War. Before that event, however, there 
were several settlements in old Ballston (south of the 
present village), and a few daring pioneers had settled 
in the interior. Such a person was Joseph Gonzalez, 
who, in 1770, took up his abode in the extreme 
south-western corner of Saratoga County, in what is 
now known as the town of Charlton. 

Joseph Gonzalez was the son of Emanuel Gonzalez, 
and in 1775 married Margaret, a daughter of David 
Dutcher of Dutchess County, who was a direct 
descendant in the fourth generation from Anneke 
Jansen. * Emanuel Gonzalez was immediately de- 



♦ Anneke Jansen, the first ancestor of Mrs. General BuUard, came to Xew Amster- 
dam about 1612, at the age of seventeen. At that time the Patroon of Reiissclacrwyck 
(now a part of Albany) had a young superintendent of the affairs of the " Colonic," 
named Roeloff Jansen, who was called to New Amsterdam occasionally on business, 
finally removing thither. On one of his visits during the administration of Van Twillcr, 
he met Anneke, who, not long after, became his wife. They were both members of the 
Church in New Amsterdam, presided over by Dominie EverarduG Bogardus, the first 
minister who filled a pulpit in the new Dutch city. He was a faithful, outspoken 
bachelor of thirty when he came, and baptized the four children of Roeloff and Anneke 
in regular order. At his death Roeloff left to his young widow, among considerable 
other property, a small farm running on Broadway, from Warren to Duane Street — 
sixty-two acres " more or less." The widow had no one to look after her property and 
assist in training her children, and the dominie had no one to look after his clothes. Mu- 
tual sympathy in their destitution begat affection between the dominie and the widow, 
and they were married. Then the dame bore the honors of the double name of .Anneke 
Jansen Bogardus. Thenceforth her landed property was known as " the Dominic's 
Bowerie " or farm. They lived happily together until 1647, when Bogardus was lost at 
sea on his passage home from Holland in September of that year. He left his widow 
with four more children. The farm had been granted to Jansen by Van Twiller, and 
It was confirmed to Anneke by Stuyvesant in 1654, After the death of her husband 
Mrs. Bogardus went to Albany to live, where she died in 1663. Her will is among the 
public records there, dated January 29, 1663, by which shft left her children and 



I 



426 REMINISCENCES OE SARATOGA. 

scended from a Spanish Huguenot of that name who 
came from Holland to New York in his own ship 
about 1690. The first permanent white inhabitant in 
Sullivan County, New York, is said to have settled 
there in the year 1700. His name was Don Manuel 
Gonzalez, and he is supposed to be the same person."* 
His grandson Joseph, with his family, then consisting 
of his wife and four sons, with one hired man, was 
quietly residing upon his farm when the tragedy now 
to be related occurred. 

Previous to the Revolution, Joseph had lived on 
the friendliest terms with the Indians. On the break- 
ing out of the war, however, the Gonzalez family — 
almost the only one in that section that had espoused 



grandchildren all her real estate in equal shares, with a prior charge of one thousand 
guilders in favor of the children of the first marriage, " out of the proceeds of their 
father's place, viz., a certain farm on Manhattan Island bounded on the North 
River." The title to this farm was confirmed to these heirs by Richard Nicolls, the 
first English governor after New Netherland and New Amsterdam both became New 
York. This is the property (now worth many millions) concerning which there is so 
much litigation by Anneke Jansen's heirs. The curious reader will find other in- 
teresting particulars in relation to this matter in " Humbert vs. Trinity Church," 
24 Wendell, page 587. Mrs. Waldo M. Potter (the wife of the late long time- 
honored editor of the Saratogian) is also a descendant of Anneke Jansen. 

* See French's New York Gazetteer^ page 642, ed. i860. The names of Emanuel 
Gonzales and his son are found in a list of the freeholders of Ulster County in the 
year 1728, when they were living in the town of Kingston, — The Documentary 
History 0/ New York.^ vol, iii., page 970. 

About 1763 a proclamation was issued offering a reward for the apprehension of 
Jacobus Gonzales and six others, all of Dutchess County, charged with high treason 
(Dunlap's History of New York, Appendix cxciii.) This Jacobus was no doubt 
grandson of the first Don Manuel and a brother of Joseph, and this proclamation may 
have induced the removal of Joseph from Dutchess County into the wilderness north 
of the Mohawk, 



TORIES AND INDIANS. 



427 



the cause of the colonies — became objects of special 
hate to the Tories, and particularly to the Scotch resi- 
dents of Charlton, who were generally on the side of 
the Crown. Indeed, the Tories were more hostile to 
this one family than the savages themselves ; and 
neglected no opportunity of stirring up the jealousy 
of the latter against it. In addition to this circum- 
stance, one or two incidents had recently occurred 
which added intensity to this domestic strife. Eman- 
uel Gonzalez, the oldest son of Joseph, was a man of 
twenty-two years of age, of great stature and strength, 
and one who could easily master any two Indians in 
the country. This had been shown on several occa- 
sions ; but once, in particular, when attacked in a 
field by a dozen Indians, he defended himself with a 
rail torn from a fence so vigorously that his assailants 
were glad to beat a retreat. In the contest he was 
severely wounded by twisting his neck around nearly 
to breaking. From this, however, he recovered. 
This great feat excited still more the hostility of the 
Indians toward him ; and when they appeared the 
second time, they came with firearms. 

Another incident also tended to make the feel- 
ings of the Tories still more embittered. A few 
months previous to the events about to be narrated, 
Captain Clute, of Schenectady, came up one evening 
with a few soldiers to arrest one of the Tories, and 
by the latter was invited to stay all night, under the 
pretence that Clute had been misinformed, as he was 



428 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

really a stanch friend of the American cause. As 
soon as his visitors were asleep upon the floor, the 
Tory left the house and notified Gonzalez and his 
sons that a party of Tories were at his residence on 
some nefarious errand, desiring them, at the same 
time, to come with him and assist in killing them. 
Supposing his story to be true, they returned with 
him ; but when Gonzalez, who was a humane man, 
saw them asleep, he refused to harm the sleepers, and 
insisted on keeping guard during the night, and ar- 
resting them in the morning. The surprise of Gon- 
zalez was great when the dawn revealed to him in the 
leader of the party the features of his old and tried 
friend Clute, whose life he had come so near taking. 
The tables were at once turned, and the treacherous 
Tory was arrested, taken to Schenectady, tried, and 
condemned to be hung. At the intercession of Gon- 
zalez, however, he was pardoned. 

It was never ascertained whether the Indians, in 
the dreadful tragedy soon to take place, were prompt- 
ed by this Tory element or by the remembrance of 
the rough handling received by them in their contest 
with the young Gonzalez giant. It was evident, how- 
ever, that the Indians, who were the St. Regis, after 
their winter hunting and fishing in the Adirondacks, 
came nearly one hundred miles south on purpose to 
capture or destroy the family before their return to 
Canada. 

At the time of the attack, which happened in 



BARBARITY AND HUMANITY. 



429 



April, 1782, the elder Gonzalez, the farm hand, the 
eldest and two youngest sons were burning a summer 
fallow in a field, while the mother, with her daughter 
and second son, David, a lad of eighteen, were at the 
house. As the party came up, Joseph Gonzalez rec- 
ognized the leader of the band, and extended his 
hand in his usual friendly manner. In reply to this 
kindly salutation the Indian, drawing his tomahawk, 
struck the old man dead at his feet. At the same 
time the savages seized the other two sons, Emanuel 
and John, and the hired man. Emanuel, by main 
strength broke away from his captors and fled towards 
a piece of woods near at hand ; but as he was in the 
act of scaling the first fence he was again, seized. 
Turning upon his pursuer, he easily threw him to tlie 
ground, notwithstanding he had received a shot 
through the hand in ascending the fence. Resuming 
his flight, he had well-nigh effected his escape ; but as 
he leaped the last fence that separated him from the 
wood, he was instantly killed by a shot fired by his 
pursuers. Joseph, the youngest child, aged twelve 
years, was more fortunate; for while the attention of 
the party was distracted by the pursuit and tlic neces- 
sity of guarding John, one of the Indians, who had 
received many kindnesses from the Gonzalez, beck- 
oned to him to run to the house. This he succeeded 
in doing without attracting the attention of the rest, 
and gave the alarm to the other members of the 
family. David, the youth of eighteen, fortunately 



430 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

happened to be at home. At once harnessing a 
horse which stood near to a wagon, he conveyed his 
mother, Joseph, and the daughter over a rough road 
through the wilderness to Crane's Village on the Mo- 
hawk, three miles distant. 

A few miles east of Crane's Village, Capt. Tunis 
Swart then resided. On hearing the doleful tale, he 
lost no time in ordering out his company, but upon 
their refusing through fear to march, Swart, with 
young David, returned the same night as far back as 
the house. This they found undisturbed, but ascer- 
tained that the Indians had hastily retreated, bearing 
with them John and the servant and the scalps of the 
two victims — the latter being stuck upon two poles 
and carried in sight of the son. The next morning 
Swart carried the bodies into the log-house and ten- 
derly covered them with blankets until the rites of se- 
pulture could be properly performed. By this time, the 
country had been roused, and the settlers and militia, 
coming up from the Mohawk Valley, followed the re- 
treating Indians as far as the Fish House ; but losing 
the trail at this point, the pursuit was abandoned.* 

* This massacre broke up the Gonzalez family. Rebecca, the oldest daughter, had 
previously, February 25, 1776, married Emanuel De Graff, who lived two miles cast of 
Amsterdam. The mother and the surviving children removed to Schenectady, and 
left the farm in the wilderness temporarily abandoned. The younger children con- 
tinued to reside in Schenectady for many years, but the mother died soon after, 
broken-hearted on account of the uncertain fate of her son John. The granddaugh- 
ter of David is now the wife of Commander Constable of the United States Navy, 
and yet resides at Schenectady. A granddaughter of Rebecca is the wife of Hon. 
P. R. Toll of Glenville, Schenectady County, N. Y. 



INDIAN TREATMENT OF CAPTIVES. 



431 



The trip to Canada was made on foot and by forced 
marches. Fearful of pursuit, the Indians hurried alon^^ 
so fast that they could not tarry either to eat or to kill 
game. Their youthful prisoner, John, was two days 
without a morsel of food ; and when he lagged behind 
from exhaustion, his life was threatened and the 
manner in which his scalp would be taken was kindly 
explained to him. The first sustenance offered to the 
captives was the entrails of a cooked squirrel, which 
they must eat or starve ; nor was it until their arrival 
in Canada that they obtained anything at all palat- 
V able. This consisted of a piece of corn bread spread 
with lard that was given them by a friendly squaw at 
St. John's. When they laid down for the night, the 
captives were secured by a long strap placed on their 
prostrate bodies; several Indians lying upon each end 
of the strap ready to awake and tomahawk them 
upon the least movement looking toward an escape. 
Frequently, also, his hair would be frozen to the 
ground when he awoke. Once John secured one of 
the guns of his captors, and would have attempted an 
escape had he not been dissuaded from it by his com- 
panion. On arriving at the Indian town — the capital 
of the St. Reoris nation — his head was shaved and his 
face painted. He was forced, likewise, to submit 
to the terrible ordeals which the Indians inflict 
upon their prisoners, among other things being com- 
pelled to carry the scalps of his father and brother 
upon a pole through the camp. On reaching the 



432 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

British army, although but fifteen years old, he was 
forced into that. During his stay in the EngHsh 
camp he was an unwilHng witness to many cruelties 
practised upon American prisoners, one of which was 
the "running of the gauntlet" between two rows of 
Indians, who were allowed to beat them at every step. 
Of those who were subjected to this terrible ordeal 
every one died from its effects, with the exception of 
one spry Yankee boy, who adroitly dodged most 
of the blows. Although thus forced into the service, 
young Gonzalez was not allowed to participate ac- 
tively in any campaign, from the fear that he would 
seize the opportunity to escape. He was accordingly 
confined in the garrison and employed in the manu- 
facture of cartridges, doing, perhaps, in this way more 
for the American cause than if he had been fight- 
ing actively on their side ; for he took good care 
to make them all simply of powdered charcoal. " I 
was resolved," he said, '' that none made by me 
should ever harm my countrymen." Brave words 
and worthy of one whose every act was characterized 
by great and heroic daring ! 

Although peace was declared about a year after his 
capture, he was forced to remain two years longer 
in the service of those he detested, obtaining his re- 
lease in the spring of 1785. Being a youth of great 
courage, and unusual intelligence and energy of char- 
acter, he became a favorite with his officers. With a 
view to encourage settlers, and perhaps also to make 



RELEASE AND RETURN. 



433 



a partial atonement for the sufferings which he had 
undergone, the British authorities offered land to each 
soldier who chose to remain under the English rule. 
The land thus offered to young Gonzalez was upon 
the site of the present city of Kingston. But al- 
though only eighteen years of age, he had seen too 
much of the Tories to cast in his lot with them. He 
accordingly rejected their offer with contempt, say- 
ing: "All I want of your land is enough to walk on 
until I get off from it ! " and, as good as his word, he 
straightway returned, yet a mere boy, to the Mo- 
hawk valley."^ The first relative he found was his 
sister, Mrs. De Graff, whose descendants yet reside 
on the same farm near Amsterdam. 

His father, who met with so tragical an end, had 
previously contracted for about fifteen hundred acres 
of the best land in the county of Saratoga, but not 
having, at the time of his death, made sufficient pay- 
ment to secure the title, the estate was lost. John, 
however, on arriving at his majority, bought a portion 
of the land, where he and his descendants have since 
resided. He built the first frame building in the 
south-west portion of the county. In 1 79 1, he married 
Dorcas Hogan of Albany, by whom he had twelve 
children, and died October 7, 1823. He was succeeded 
in the homestead— near the scene of the tragedy— by 
his son Emanuel, who died Janu ary 31, 1872.! 

* His name was entered on the rolls of the British army as Consalu^ : and it has 
been so spelled by his descendants ever since, 
t Mrs, E, F. Bullard, of Saratoga Spnngs, is a daughter of this Emanuel. 



CHAPTER XL. 

Retrospective — The Mineral Fountains of Saratoga, 

" If but one leper cured made Jordan's stream 
In sacred writ a venerable theme ; 
What honors to thy sovereign waters due, 
Where sick by thousands do their health renew." 

— " Congress Water^^ 1815. 



W 



' " O comfortable streams ! With eager lips 

And trembling hand the languid thirsty quaff 

New life in you." — Armstrong. 

HAT a beautiful town Saratoga has grown to 
be ! What a change since Sir William John- 
son was first brought hither through the primeval 
forest from Johnstown upon a litter borne upon the 
shoulders of his faithful Indians ! Compare its sand- 
heaps, and the few houses scattered along the broad 
avenue running between the *' Upper *' and " Lower" 
villages,* through which, fifty years ago, one was com- 
pelled literally to wade half-leg deep in heated, pul- 
verized silex, with its present well-graded and macad- 
amized Broadway, handsomely built for nearly two 

* As late as 1816, the present village of Saratoga Springs consisted of two villages. 
The Southern portion was then called "Congress Spnng Village, " in contradistinc- 
tion to " Saratoga Springs " or the '' Upper Village " SpafTord's Gazetteer 0/ Ntw 
York for 18 13, speaking of Saratoga, says: "There are handsome villages of 
twenty to thirty houses at Rock Spring and at Congress Spring, where is also a post- 
office." 

434 




g 

-I 

UJ 

u 



IMPROVEMENTS. ^^j. 



miles upon both sides — to say nothing of numerous 
other streets, parallel and at right angles — likewise well 
built — and all adorned with spreading elms and the 
yet more beautiful maple. Nay, what a change within 
the last fifteen years, when the inhabitants set seri- 
ously to work in mending their ways, and planting 
therein trees ! The grounds, too, of the hotels have 
been improved until they appear like the Elysian 
Fields, while the additions to the buildings are grand 
and imposing beyond parallel in this country. Nor 
are the improvements less striking in the country ad- 
jacent. It is only a few years since the pine plains, 
by which the village was environed, were considered 
nearly worthless. But an increase of knowledge in the 
department of husbandry has wrought a wonderful 
change; and those waste lands have been transformed 
into well-cultivated and productive farms. 

" The garden blooms with vegetable gold, 
And all Pomona in the orchard glows." 

I have watched the growth of this place with great 
interest for many years— convinced, as I have ever 
been, from the variety and excellence of its mineral 
waters, that it is destined to be a very large and beau- 
tiful town, and that at no very distant day. Almost 
every year some new fountain, differing in its proper- 
ties from those previously discovered, is obtained, 
while those before known are improved in their fix- 
tures so as to bring up the waters in greater purity, 



436 REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 

and render them more easy and agreeable of access. 
It was a rare good fortune that attended honest 
Gideon Putnam in the early days of Saratoga (1804) 
in his efforts to recover Congress Spring from the 
creek that — now itself at this point lost to sight — 
then overflowed and concealed it. When the spring 
was first discovered, its point of discharge was a 
fissure in the rocky bank of the creek; but impatient 
hands had sought to enlarge the opening with the 
result of a temporary loss of the fountain itself. 
Putnam discovered bubbles of gas rising in the 
stream, and sought for and secured the spring at its 
source in the underlying rocks. Ever since, it has 
continued to effect invaluable medical purposes, and 
has a character of its own for its peculiar properties 
the world over, high above all other mineral waters 
in the known world. 

But what shall be said of the new fountains in the 
village and in the '' Ellis Neighborhood " the " Ha- 
thorn and the Champion ? " They are indeed beauti- 
ful, and as wonderful as beautiful. Physicians, I 
believe, are passing favorably upon both ; and from 
my own practical, rather than scientific, experiments, 
I am inclined to think that they will be found as re- 
liable in a medicinal point of view as any other 
spring in this remarkable place. Indeed, no one can 
look on the "Champion Spouting Spring" — throw- 
ing a column an inch in diameter to the height of 
eighty feet, and boiling up every moment in millions 




C3 





CHAMPION SPOUTING SPRING. 



THE SPRINGS. 



437 



of silver globules which sparkle as though re- 
joicing at their liberation from the dark caverns of 
the Gnomes — without being struck by the wonderful 
powers of nature. 

Had these and other medicinal fountains in the 
little valley whence they spring been placed in 
Greece or Rome, instead of Saratoga, they would 
have been invested with all that was beautiful in the 
mythology of the heroic and classic ages. Hygeia 
would herself have assigned to every spring a nymph, 
or a minor deity, and the chisels of Phidias and 
Praxiteles would have been put in requisition to 
ornament the beautiful temples that would have 
been reared over them. The Goddess of Health 
might herself have been chosen to preside over the 
^'Congress," while iEgle, the fairest of the Naiades, 
would have been assigned to the *' Excelsior." But, 
perhaps, after all, the ancients were in error as to 
the local habitations of their divinities. May they 
not, even now, be sporting and dancing among the 
pine groves of Saratoga? These groves are prolific 
of flowers ; and I have more than once seen beautiful 
forms gliding among the trees, as lovely, at least, as 
ever were seen in the Isles of Greece. 

Nor does it seem probable that these wonderful 
fountains will ever fail. The famous spring at Wies- 
baden, Nassau, Germany, has remained unchanged, 
both as regards its flow and medicinal properties, for 
more than fifteen hundred years. Why, then, should 



438 



REMINISCENCES OF SARATOGA. 



not a like permanence be safely predicted for our 
own medicinal fountains, many of which are doubt- 
less as old as our rivers, though not so long known 
to history or tradition? "Had the High Rock 
Spring,** says Dr. Seaman, ''stood on the borders of 
the Lago d'Agnans, the noted Grotto del Cani, 
which, since the peculiar properties of carbonic acid 
have been known, burdens almost every book that 
treats upon the gas, would never have been heard of 
beyond the environs of Naples ; while this fountain, 
in its place, would have been deservedly celebrated 
in story and spread upon canvas, to the admiration of 
the world, as one of the greatest of'curiosities ! " 



THE END. 



APPENDIX No. I. 



THE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS AND BALLSTON. 

BY MR. C. C. DAWSON. 

New York City, May i, 1875. 
Wm. L. Stone, Esq. 

Dear Sir : I believe Dr. Valentine Seaman, of New York, was the first 
writer who made the mineral waters of Saratoga and Ballston the subject of 
a special treatise. The first edition of his work was published in 1793, since 
which time the books and pamphlets which have been published relatinj; to 
our mineral waters in general, or to particular springs, are almost "too 
numerous to mention." I presume you can largely supplement the list of 
titles which I give you below. 

An account of Dr. Vandervoort's experiments with the waters of Ballston 
was published, according to Seaman, second edition, in 1795. I have never 
seen Dr. Vandervoort's paper. Analyses of the Ballston waters were pub- 
lished in 180S, in the Medical Repository, of New York, and Monthly 
Anthology, of Boston. The Medical Repository for 1804 also contained an 
account of the springs, furnished by D. B. Warden (author of a Statistical, 
Political, and Historical Account of the United States, 1819). Dr. Constable, 
of Schenectady, is said to have visited Saratoga and Ballston about 1770, and 
pronounced the waters highly medicinal. I do not know where his account 
of them appeared. In 1783, Dr. Samuel Tenny visited the springs and com- 
municated the result of his observations in a letter to Dr. Joshua Fisher, of 
Boston, which letter was subsequently published in the Memoirs of the 
American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. II., part i, 1793. Samuel L. 
Mitchill, LL.D., of New York, visited Saratoga in 17S7, and published an 
account of the springs in the American Magazine. Extracts from his journal. 
accounts of a variety of "curious experiments" made at the springs, may be 
found in Dr. Jedediah Morse's American Geography (second edition, Lon- 
don, 1792). 

For the past seventy-five years Saratoga and Ballston have been noticed in 
encyclopedias, gazetteers, general treatises upon mineral waters, guide-books. 

439 



440 APPENDIX. 

and books of travel without number, and much that is interesting to the 
local historian may be gathered from these sources. In your sketches you 
have quoted from Theodore Dv^^ight's Summer Tours an interesting account 
of Saratoga in 1791, and of Ballston's early history. Of these places, as they 
appeared thirty-five years ago, one of the most entertaining accounts is to be 
found in Buckingham's Travels in America (Vol. II., pp. 95-118). It seems 
odd at this day to read that "the Congress Hall is frequented by the most 
fashionable classes ; those who pride themselves on their birth, connection, 
and breeding, rather than their wealth ; and this is consequently the aristo- 
cratic or whig house, in which conservative doctrines in politics and religion 
are most current and acceptable. The United States Hotel is more fre- 
quented by the rich mercantile classes, whose wealth makes their impor- 
tance equal in degree, though differing in its source, to that of the more 
ancient families ; and this is the democratic house. The Union Hall is fre- 
quented chiefly by the clergy and religious families, by judges, professors, 
and grave and elderly people -generally ; and this is called the religious 
house"; and that the largest of these "will accommodate three hundred 
persons " ! 

Among the curiosities of our local literature should, perhaps, be men- 
tioned your "Chronicles of Saratoga," published in The Onward in 1869, a 
partly fictitious but no less life-like " Picture of Society at the Springs forty 
years ago." Have you ever seen The Literary Picture Gallery? It was 
issued in numbers of eight pages each, i2mo, under the title of The Literary 
Picture Gallery and Admonitory Epistles to the Visitors of Ballston Spa, by 
Simeon Senex, Esquire (Ballston Spa, printed by Miller & Riggs for I. Cook, 
1808). The editor was an inveterate punster — a sort of ancient John Paul. 
Apropos of your recent description of the old sign-board of the " Union 
Tavern " is the following : (No. IV.) " The celebrated painting of Putnam and 
the Wolf, of Saratoga, has of late been a subject of animated discussion 
between an American artist of high celebrity, and a travelled gentleman of 
New York, well known for his exquisite taste in the fine arts. The connois- 
seur contends that this admirable piece, exhibiting all the terrible graces of 
Salvator Rosa, must be the production of some Italian artist of the seven- 
teenth century, and consequently can have no allusion to any adventure of the 

American hero whose name is inscribed on the picture. Col. T , on the 

contrary, maintains that it is evident from internal marks that the artist can 
be no other than the illustrious Vander Daub, who came over to this country 
in the suite of the Dutch Ambassador soon after the peace. Who shall decide 
where doctors disagree ? " 



APPENDIX. ^^ I 

Here is another paragraph from the same number: "The postponement 
of the ball which was to have been given at Sans Souci on Saturday evening 
having caused great speculations, we are requested to inform our readers 
that it was occasioned by the circumstance of Mjhs. Parissot de Vestris hav- 
ing paid a visit to Congress Spring at Saratoga in the morning ! " 

Herewith is the promised list. Please notice that it is not intended to be a 
Bibliography of Saratoga as connected with oui: Revolutionary history. 
Local directories, village charters, and many other publications of a local 
nature, official and otherwise, are omitted. 

C. C. Dawson. 



A LIST OF BOOKS 

Relating to or somewhat prominently noticing Saratoga 
Springs and B a list on. 

ALLEN, R. L. — A Historical, Chemical, and Therapeutical Analysis of the principal 

Mineral Fountains at Saratoga Springs, together with general directions for their 
use. By R. L. Allen, M D., resident and consulting physician. Third edition, re- 
vised. Saratoga Springs : B. Huling, 1853. i6mo, pp. 72. The first edition was 
published in 1844 ; second, 1848. 

ALLEN — An Analysis of the Principal Mineral Fountains of Saratoga Springs, cm- 
bracing an account of their history ; their chemical and curative properties • 
together with general directions for their use ; also, some remarks upon the natural 
history and objects of general interest in the County of Saratoga. By R. L. Allen, 
M.D. New York: Ross & Tousey, 185S. i6mo, pp. 114. 

ALLEN. — Hand-Book of Saratoga, and Stranger's Guide. By R. L. Allen, M.D. 
New York: W. (1. Arthur & Co., 1859. '6\o, pp. 131. The same. Albany: J. 
Munsell, 1866. Svo, pp. 147. The same. New York: William L. Stone & Jordan, 

1S60. Svo, pp. 141. 

An Illustrated Guide to the principal Summer Resorts of the United Stales, including 
careful dcscriotions of the Hudson River. Saratoga Springs, Lakes Gcorjjc and 
Champlain, the Adirondack Region. Niagara Falls, the St. Lawrence. Long branch. 
Cape May, and others. With routes, cost of travel, best hotels, prices, etc., etc. 
New York: The American and Foreign Publishing Company, 1875. i6mo. 

Appleton's Hand-Book of American Tnavel. Northern and E.astern Tour. . . . . 
Being a Guide to Niagara, the White Mountains, the Allcghanies, the Catsk>!U, 
the Adirondacks, the tierkshire Hills, the St Lawrence, Lake Chamniain, Lake 
George, Lake Memphremagog, Saratoga, Newport, Cape May, the Hudson, and 
other famous localities. . . With Maps and various Skeleton I'ours. Revised for 
summer of 1873, with appendix. New York: D. Applcton & Co., iS73-, laino, pp. 
294. See Richards, T. A.— The above is a revision of Mr. Richards work, but 
without his name, 

BACHELDER, J. D.— Popular Resorts and How to Reach Them ContaininR a 
brief description of the principal Summer Retreats in the United States and the 
routes of travel leading to them. By John B. Bachelder. Second edition. Boston: 
John B. Bachelder, 1874. Svo, pp. 192. 

Ballston Springs. [A Poem.] New York: S. Gould, 1806. i2mo, pp. 46. A copy io 
the Library of Congress. — Sabin. 

BARBER, J. W. and HOWE, H.— Historical Collections of the State of New York, 



442 APPENDIX. 



containing a general collection of the most interesting Facts, Traditions, Biographi- 
cal Sketches, Anecdotes, etc., relating to its History and Antiquities, with 
Geographical Descriptions of every Township in the State. By John W. Barber 
and Henry Howe. New York: S. Tuttle, 1841. 8vo, pp. 608. Engravings. 

BARBER and HOWE.— Pictorial History of the State of New York. Cooperstown, 
1846. 8vo. " This is a new title to the Historical Collections." — Sabiii. 

BATES, G. H. — The Uses and Value of Congress, Empire, and Columbian Waters 
of Saratoga Springs, in the treatment of various diseases, and as a refreshing 
beverage, embracing facts and information for the benefit of invalids generally, and 
visitors at the Springs. New York: Hotchkiss' Sons. Copyrighted 1866. 32 pp., 
3 by 4^V' Written by G. H. Bates, whose initials are signed to the preface. 

BATES. — Uso y Eficacia de las Aguas de los Manantiales de Saratoga llamadosCon-r 
gress. Empire y Columbian, en el Tratamiento de varies Enfermedades, y com.o 
bebeda refrescante ; tambien hechos e informes en beneficio de los enfermos en gene- 
ral y de los que visiten los manantiales. New York: B. B. Hotchkiss & Co 
Copyrighted i863. 32 pp., 3 by 4^'. A translation of the above. 

BEDORTHA, N. — Practical Medication, or the Invalid's Guide, with Directions for 
the Treatment of Disease. By N. Bedortha, M.D., of the Saratoga Water Cure, 
Saratoga Springs, N. Y. Albany : Munsell & Rowland, i860. i2mo, pp. 281. 

BELL, J. — On Baths and Mineral Waters. In two parts By John Bell, 

M.D , etc. Philadelphia: Henry H. Porter, 1831. i2mo, pp. 532. 

BELL. — The Mineral and Thermal Springs of the United States and Canada. By 
John Bell, M D., author of" Baths and Mineral Waters," " Baths and the Watery 
Regimen," etc. Philadelphia: Parry & McMillan, 1855,. i8mo, pp. 394. 

BUCKINGHAM, J. S.— America: Historical. Statistic, and Descriptive. By J. S. 
Buckingham, Esq. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1841. 2 vols., pp. 514, 516, 
plates. See Chapters IX. and X., Vol. II. 

BULKELEY, J. S. — Leading Men and Leading Pursuits of Ballston and Vicinity, 
With a Sketch of Ballston, Past and Present, by E. R. Maan. By J. S. Bulkeley, 
Ballston Spa, N. Y. : W. S. Waterbury, printer, 1874. i2mo, pp. 48. 

BUTLER, B. C— From New York to Montreal. By B. C. Butler, author of " Lake 
George and Lake Champlain." New York: American News Company, 1873. 
i2mo, pp. 155. 

CHANDLER, C. F. — Saratoga Seltzer Spring Company. Report on the Saratoga 
Seltzer Spring, by C. F. Chandler, Ph D , Professor of Analytical and Applied 
Chemistry, etc. New York: Wynkoop & Hallenbeck, printers, 1867. 8vo, pp. 12. 

CHANDLER. — Lecture on Water, delivered before the American Institute of the 
City of New York, in the Academy of Music, January 20, 1871. By C. F. Chand- 
ler, l^'h.D., Professor of Analytical and Applied Chemistry, School of Mines, Colum- 
bia C' liege, etc. [E.xtract from the Transactions of the American Institute for 
1870-71.] Albany: The Argus Company, printers, 1871. 8vo, pp. 49. 

COLT, S. S. — New York State Illustrated ; or. The Tourist's Guide through the Em- 
pire State, from New York by old and new paths to Niagara, embracing all Cities, 
Towns, and Watering Places, by Hudson River and New York Central Route. 
Describing all Routes of Travel, and Places of Popular Interest and Resort along the 
Hudson River, Susquehanna Road, Cooperstown, Sharon, Richfield Springs, Lake 
George, Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks, Trenton P'alls, Saratoga, Niagara FaHs, 
etc. Edited and published by Mrs. S. S. Colt, Albany, N. Y., 1872. 8vo, pp. 196. 

CURTIS, G. W. — Lotus-Eating: A Summer Book. By George William Curtis, 
author of " Nile Notes," " Howadji in Syria," etc. Illustrated by Kensett. New 
York: Harper & Brothers, 1852. i2mo, pp. 206. Contains a chapter on Saratoga. 

DAVISON, G. M. — The Fashionable Tour in 1825. An Excursion to the Springs, 
Niagara, Quebec, and Boston Saratoga Springs : G. M. Davison, 1825. iSmo, pp. 
169. 

DAVISON. — The Traveller's Tour, and Guide to Travellers through the Northern 
and Middle States and Canada. G. M. Davison, Saratoga, 1830. i2mo. 



APPENDIX. 443 



DAVISON —The Traveller's Guide through the Middle and Northern States ^nd 
the Provinces of Canada. Sixth edition, enlarged and improved. Sarat->ga Springs: 
G. M. Davison, 1834. i8mo, pp. 452. Seventh edition. By G. M. D.ivison. Sara- 
toga Springs : G. M. Davison, 1837. i3mo pp. 465. Eighth edition, 1840. x3mo, 
pp 395. Map. A valuable guide, by a Saratogian. 

DAWSON, C. C. — Saratoga: Its Mineral Waters, and their Use in Preventing and 
Eradicating Disease, and as a Refreshing Beverage. By C. C. Dawson. New 
York: Russell Bros., 1868. i6mo. pp. 64. Reprinted 1871,1873. 

DEARBORN, R F. — Saratoga and How to Sec It. Containing a full account of its 
Mineral Springs and attractions, with num-.-rous illustrations. Saratoga : R. F. 
Dearborn, 1871. Square i6nio, pp. 70. The same, revised, 1871, pp. 72. 

DEARBORN. — Saratoga and How to See It. A complete description of the Ameri- 
can Watering Place, by R F. Dearborn, with steel engravings, photo-plates, and 
woodcuts. Troy : The Northern News Company, 1872. Square i6mo, pp. ia6. 

DEARBORN. — Saratoga and How to See It Containing a description of the 
Watering Place, with a Treatise on its Mineral Springs. By Dr. X. r . Dearborn. 
Albany : Weed, Parsons & Co., printers, 1873. Square i6mo, pp. iSi with many 
engravings. 

DEARBORN — Saratoga and What is to be Seen There : an .\nnual Guide, with a 
Treatise on the Mineral Waters New York, 1874. lamo, pp 73. Copyrighted by 
R. F. Dearborn 

DEVEAUX, S.— The Traveller's Own Book to Saratoga Springs, Ni.ag.ira Falls, .and 
Canada, containing routes, distances, conveyances, expenses, use of mineral waters, 
baths, description of scenery, etc. A complete guide for the valetudinarian and for 
the tourist, seeking for pleasure and amusement. With maps and engravings. By 
S. DeVeaux. Buffalo: Faxon & Read, 1841. iSmo, pp. 258. 

DISTURNELL, J. — k Gazetteer of the State of New York : comprising its Topo- 
graphy, Geology, Mineralogical Resources Civil Divisions, Canals, Railroads, and 

Public Institutions Albany: J. Disturnell, 1842. 8vo, pp 475, with a 

township map. 

DISTURNELL —The Northern Traveller; containing the Hudson River Guide 
and Tour to the Springs, Lake George, and Canada, passing through Lake Cham- 
plain. By J. Disturnell. New York, 18 u- i'wo maps. 

DISTURNELL.— Disturnell's Guide through the Middle, Northern, and Eastern 
States. New York: J Disturnell, June, 1847. July, 1847, i8mo, pp So, map; 
January, 1848, iSmo, pp. 79. 

DISTURNELL.— Railroad, Steamboat, and Telegraph Rook, being a Guide through 
the Middle, Northern and Eastern States, and Canad.a, etc. New York: J. Distur- 
nell 1S50. i3mo pp. io3, map. The same, 1S55, i^mo, pp. 108; 1805, sq. iSmo, 

PP' —• . e 

DISTURNELL.— Springs, Waterfalls, Sea-Bathing Resorts, and Mountain Scenery 
of the United States and Canada ; giving an Analysis of the principal Mineral 
Springs, with a brief description oi the most fa.shionable watering places, mountain 
resorts, etc., with illustrations. New York : J. Disturnell, 1855- »8mo, pp. 227. 

DISTURNELL.— The Picturesque Tourist: being a Guide through the St.itc of 
New York and Upper and Lower C.inada, includin- a Hudson River Guide ; giving 
an accurate description of Cities and Villages, celebrated places o resort, etc.. with 
maps and illustrations. New York : Published by J. Dioturnell. lOmo. pp. 298. 

Copyrighted 185S. 

"• the routes to 

scenes, and 
: Wilder & 




Carvill, 1838, 
This work 



devotes more than usual space to Saratoga and Ballston. .,■ , „ 

DW GHT.-Summer Tours, or Notes of a Traveller through some "C'hc ^^ddle 

and Northern States. By Theodore Dwight. Second edition. New York . Harper 
& Brothers, 1847. lamo, pp. 252. 



444 APPENDIX. 



DWIGHT, TIMOTHY.— Travels in New England and New York. By Timothy 
Dwight, S.T.D., LL.D., late President of Yale College. New Haven : T. Dwight, 
1S21, 1822. 4 vols. 8vo, pp. 524, 527, 534, 527, maps. Reprinted, London: Baynes, 
1823. 4 vols., 8vo. Vol. 3 contains sketches of Saratoga and Ballston. 

EMMONS, E. — The Empire Spring, its Tomposition and Medical Uses, together 
with a notice of the Mineral Waters of Saratoga, and those ot other parts of New 
York. By E. Emmons, M.D. Albany ; C. Van Benthuysen, 1849. i6mo, pp. 36. 

EMMONS. — Saratoga Empire Spring, its Composition and Medical Uses. By Prof. 
E, Emmons, M.D. ; also, Letters from Physicians of Saratoga Springs, and Profes- 
sors of Castleton Medical College, Vermont, and others. Saratoga Springs. A 
small tract of 8 pp (1861 ?) 

ENDICOTT, G. — Endicott's Picture of Saratoga for 1843. Containing thirteen ac- 
curate views, from original drawings, of the principal buildings and places of the 
village, with a brief description of each. Respectfully dedicated to the Visitors of 
the Springs. New York : G. Endicott, 1843. 13 views ; pages 12 by 17 ; 2 pp. letter- 
press. 

OILMAN, C— The Poetry of Travelling in the United States. By Caroline Oilman. 
. . . . New York : S._ Coleman, 1838. i2mo pp. 430. Saratoga and Saratoga 
Lake are pleasantly described in this volume, and the lake is the subject of a poem. 

GORDON, T. F. — Gazetteer of the State of New York : comprehending its Colonial 
History, General Geography, Geology, and Internal Improvements ; its PoHtical 
State ; a minute description of its several counties, towns, and villages ; statistical 
tables, etc.. with a Map of the State and a Map of each County, and Plans of the 
Cities and Principal Villages. By Thomas F. Gordon. Philadelphia: Printed for 
the Author by T. K. & R. G. Collins, 1836. 8vo, pp. xii., 801. 

HOLLEY, O. L.— A Gazetteer of the State of New York. Albany : J. Disturnell, 
1842. i2mo, pp. 475, map. 

HOLLEY. — The Picturesque Tourist ; being a Guide through the Northern and 
Eastern States and Canada ; giving an accurate description of cities and villages, 
celebrated places of resort, etc , with maps and illustrations. Edited by O. L. Hol- 
ley. New York: J. Disturnell, 1844. 

KIRKMAN'S Saratoga Guide, and Magazine of Fashion and Gossip. Issued in 
numbers, folio, 1871, and the set (8 numbers, 4 pp. each) issued as Kirkman's Sara- 
toga Gossip, complete for the season of 1871. 

LATROBE, C. J.— The Rambler in North America, 1832-1833. By Charles Joseph 
Latrobe New York : Harper & Brothers, 1835. 2 vols., i2mo, pp. 243, 242. See 
Letter IV. 

MACAULAY, J.— The National, Statistical, and Civil History of the State of New 
York. New York: Gould & Barnes. Albany: William Gould & Co.. 1829. 3 vols., 
8vo, pp. 24, 534 ; 14, 459 ; 16, 451. Vol. I (Chap. IX.) contains an extended account 
of the mineral springs of the State, with analyses; Vol. II. (Chips. 1. and III.) 
affords descriptions of Saratoga County and of the villages of Saratoga Springs and 
Ballston , Vol. 111. gives some account of their settlement, etc. 

McGUIRE, HENRY —A Concise History of High Rock Spring, and the Natu- 
ral History of the Mineral Fountains of Saratoga. By Henry McGuire. Albany : 
C. Van Benthuysen & Sons, 1868. i6mo, pp. 42. 

McLaren, D.— The Pavilion Fountain at Saratoga. By D. McLaren. New York 
Thompson & Hart, 1841. Small i2mo, pp. 100. 

McQUILL. THURSTY {pcsjidon.^— I:\vg Hudson River by Daylight. New York 
to Albany, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Lake Champlain. Plattsburg the Adi- 
rondacks, Montreal, The Thousand Islands, Niagara Falls, Watkins' Glen, Richfield 
Springs, Cooperstown, Sharon, Howe's Cave, the Green Mountains, Manchester, 
Middleton, and Lebanon Springs By " Thursty McQuill." New York: John 
Featherstone, 1874. Square i2mo, pp. 168. 
The author of this valuable guide is Mr. Wallace Bruce, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 

MEADE, W. — An Experimental Enquiry into the '^hemical Properties and Medicinal 
Qualities of the principal Mineral Waters of Ballston and Saratoga, in the State 



APPENDIX. 



445 



of New York, with Directions for the use of those Waters in the Various Diseases 
to which they are appUcable and observations on Diet and RcKimen. To which is 
added an appendix, containing a chemical analysis of the LeBan<in Spring in the 
State of New York. By William Meade, M.D., member, etc. Philadelphia : Har- 
rison Hall, 1817. 8vo, pp. XV., 195, with views on steel of Ballston Springs and Con- 
gress Spring 




to 
^ . , __ Jig 

the Medical Faculty of the same for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. By John 
Meeker, Licentiate in Physic, and Vice-President of the Hygeian Society of Kew 
York. On the 26th of September, 1815. New York: i8i^ 8vo, pp. 37. The 
mineral waters of Ballston and Saratoga, and especially of Congress Spring, are 
principally treated of in this Dissertation. 

MELISH, J. — Travels in the United States of America in the years 1806 and 1S07, 

and 1809, 1810, and 181 1 By John Melish. Philadelphia : Printed for 

the Author by F. & G. Palmer, 1812. 2 vols. 8vo, xxii., 444, maps ; xi., 492, maps. 
Chap. XLVII. contains a description of Ballston. 

MOORMAN, J. J.— The Mineral Waters of the United States and Canada, with a 
Map and Plates, and general directions for reaching Mineral Springs. By J.J. 
Moorman, M.D. Baltimore : Kelly & Piet, 1867. i2mo, pp 507. 

MORFORD, H. — Morford's Short Trip Guide to America (United States and 

Dominion of Canada). By Henry Morford New York: Sheldon 

& Co. ; London : W. H, Smith & Son and S. French. i2mo, pp. 329. Copyrighted 
in U. S., 1873. 

MURAT A. — ^A Moral and Political Sketch of the United States of North America 

By Achilla Murat London: Effingham Wilson, I813. 8vo, pp. 

xxxix., 402 map. The author has something to say of life at Saratoga in his chap- 
ter on " Manners, Fine Arts, and Literature." (Letter Tenth.) 

MURRAY, r.. A. — Travels in North America during the years 1834, 1835, and 1836. 

By the Hon. Charles Augustus Murray. New York: Harper & 

Brothers, 1839. 2 vols. i2mo, pp. 324, 247. See Chap. V. 

NICHOLS, T. L.— Forty Years of American Life. By Dr. Thomas L. Nichols. 
London: John Maxwell & Company, 1864. 2 vols. 8vo, pp. xii., 408; xi., 368. 
See Chap. XXXL, on "American Recreations and Amusements." 

NORTH, M. L —Saratoga Waters ; or. the Invalid at Saratoga. By M L. North. 
M D., a resident physician. Second edition, with the analyses of various mineral 
springs. New York: Saxton & Miles, 1843. i6mo, pp. 72. The first edition of this 
work was published in 1841. 

NORTH.— North's Guide for Invalids, Analysis of Saratoga Waters: also of 
Sharon, Avon, Virginia, and other mineral waters of the United States, with direc- 
tions for invalids. By M. L. North, a resident physician at Saratoga. Fourth edi- 
tion. New York : Saxton & Miles, 1846. i6mo, pp. 72. 

NORTH.— Book of the Spring Title-page and contents same as above. Seventh 
edition, with an appendix. Saratoga Springs : B. Huling, 1858. i6mo, pp. 73. 

Osgood's Middle States— The Middle States : A Hand-Book for Travellers. A Guide 
to the Chief Cities and Popular Resorts of the Middle States, and to their Scenery 
and Historic Attractions; with the Northern Frontier froir Niagara Falls to Mon- 
treal • also, Baltimore, Washington, and North Virginia, with Seven Maps .ind fif- 
teen Plans. Boston: James R. Osgood & Company, 1874. i6mo. pp. xvi., 469. 
This work contains a map of Saratoga, with notices of the Springs, etc. 

Our Summer Retreats.— A Hand-Rook to all the Chief W.-iterfalk. Springs, 
Mountain and Seaside Resorts, and other PKaces of Interest m the L nitcd Mates. 
W ith views taken from sketches by Washington Friend, Esq., and from photo- 
graphs. New York : T. Nelson & Sons, 1858. i6mo, pp. 64. 

PAUL, JOHN {pseudon:)—]o\in Paul's Book : Moral and Instructive : Consisting 



446 



APPENDIX. 



of Travels, Tales. Poetr}-^ and like Fabrications. By John Paul, author of " Liffith 
Lank.'' "'St. Twel'mo," and other works toe humorous to mention With several 
portraits of the author, and other spirited engravings. Hartford, Conn. . and Chicago, 
111. : Columbian Book Company, 1874. 8vo, pp. 621. The New York Tribune has 
been noted as a scientific and educational newspaper ever since it gave to the world 
the remarkable series of Saratoga letters from "John Paul" (,Mr. Charles H. 
Webb), now forming a part of this volume. 

PECK, W. B. and C. E.— Peck's Tourists' Companion to Niagara Falls. Saratoga 
Springs, the Lakes, etc. Buffalo, 1850. i2mo, pp. — . 

PERKINS, ELI ipseudon.) — Saratoga in 1901. By Eli Perkins. Illustrated by 
200 photo-etchings by Arthur Lumley. New York: Sheldon & Co.. 1S72. i2mo, 
pp. 249. 

POWER, T. — Impressions of America during the Years 1833, 1834, and 1835. By 
Tyrone Power. Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1836. 2 vols., i2mo, pp. 
262, 219. See the last Chap, of Vol. 1. 

RICHARDS, T. A.— Appleton's Illustrated Hand-Book of American Travel. A 
full and reliable Guide by Railway, Steamboat and Stage, to the ( ities. Towns, 
Waterfalls, Battle-fields, Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Hunting and Fishing Grounds, 
Watering Pl.aces, Summer •- esorts, and all scenes and objects of importance and 
interest in the United States and the British Provinces. By T. Addison Richards, 
with careful maps of all parts of the country, and pictures of famous Places and 
Scenes, from original Drawings by the author and other artists. . . . New York: 
D. Appleton & Co. i2mo, pp. 412. Copyrighted 1857. The same, for the Eastern 
and Middle States. New York: D. Appleton &-Co. i2mo, pp. 216. 

RICH.\RDS — Miller's Guide to Saratoga Springs and Vicinity. Illustrated. By 
T. Addison Richards. New York: James Miller, 1871. i2mo, pp 91. Copy- 
righted, 1865. 

SEAMAN, V. — A Dissertation on the Mineral Waters of Saratoga; containing a 
lopographTcal description of the countr\', and the situation of the several Springs ; 
an analysis of the waters, as made upon the spot, together with remarks on their use 
in medicine, and a conjecture respecting their natural mode of formation ; also a 
method of making an artificial mineral water resembling that of Saratoga both in 
sensible qualities and in medicinal virtue. By Valentine ^eaman, M.D , Physician 
in the City of New York. New York : Printed by Samuel Campbell, No. 37 Hano- 
ver Square, 1793. 8vo pamphlet, pp. 40, The Dedication of this work to 
Chancellor Livingston is dated ist mo, 1st. 1703. The Dissertation was probably 
written in 1792 or earlier, and it is said to have been first read as a Thesis at Colum- 
bia College. 

SEAMAN. — A Dissertation on the Mineral Waters of Saratoga, including an account 
of the Waters of Ballston. Second edition, enlarged. By Valentine Seaman, 
M.D.. one of the Surgeons of the New York Hospital. New York : Printed and 
sold by Collins & Perkins No. 1S9 Pearl Street, 1809. i2mo, pp. 131. with map. 

SE^RS, R. — A Poem on the Mineral Waters of Ballston and Saratoga, with 
Notes illustrating the history of the Springs and adjacent country. By Reuben 
Scars, A.M. Ballston Spa : Published by the Author. J, Comstock, Printer. 1819. 
iCmo, pp. loS. 

SHEPHERD. D.— 'Saratoga. A Stor^' of 1787. New York : W. P. Fetridge & Co., 
1S56. i2mo. cloth, pp. 400. This book was v/ritten by the late Daniel "hepherd, 
of Saratoga, whose name appears in the notice of copyright. In the preface the 
author says: " For all artistic purposes, whatever might be true is true ; and this 
book is presented to the public as a faithful though, of course, an incomplete pic- 
ture of Saratoga in 1787." 

SMITH, J. C. — The Illustrated Hand- Hook, a new Guide for Travellers through the 
United States of America : containing a description of the states, cities, towns, vil- 
lages, watering-places, colleges, etc. etc. . . . Embellished with one hundred 
and twenty-five highly-finished engravings. Accompanied by a large and accurate 
map. By J. Calvin Smith. New York: Sherman & Smith, 1S46. iSmo. 
pp. 233. 



APPENDIX. A. J 

SOMBRE, SAMUEL (/^^«/^«.)-Aquarelles; or, Summer Sketches. By Samuel 
Sombre. New York : Stanford & Dehsser, 1858. i=mo. pp. 95. Contains a lengthy 
poem entuled Saratoga. *" ' 

^'^^^^.^?- SOPHIE (/j^K./^«.)— Sparkles from Saratoga. By Sophie Sparkle 
New York: American News Co., 1873. i2mo, pp. 340. 

SPAFFORD. H. G.— A Gazetteer of the State of New York: embr.icinR an ample 
survey and description of its counties, towns, cities, vill.-i^cs, canals mount .ins 
lakes^^ rivers, creeks, and Natural I opography. . . . By Horatio Gates Spafford! 
LL.D. Albany: H. D. Packard, 1S24. 8vo, pp. 620. Mr. Spafford's first Newr 
Gazetteer was issued in 1813. Albany: H. C. Southwick. 8vo, pp. 334 with an 
appendix and maps. ' 

STANSBURY, P.— A Pedestrian Tour of Two Thousand Three Hundred Miles in 

North America Performed by the author in the autumn of i^ai. 

Embellished with views. By P. Stansbury. New York : J. D. Myers & W. Smith, 
1822. i2mo, pp. 274. See Chap. II. for a very good description of Saratoga 
and Ballston. 

STEEL, J. H — An Analysis of the Mineral Waters of Saratoga and Ballston. with 
practical remarks on their use in various diseases, containing obser\'ations on the 
Geology and Mineralogy of the surrounding country, with a geolo:..ocal map. 
Second edition, enlarged and improved. By Dr. John H. Steel, resident at the 
Springs, President of the Saratoga Medical Society, etc. Albany : D. Steele. i8to. 
iSmo pp. 118, with map. 'I he first edition of this work was published in 1817. This 
work with precisely the same title, and still called the " Second edition, enlarged 
and improved," was reprinted at Saratoga Springs, by G. M. Davison, iSa8. 
i8mo, pp. 118. 

STEEL.— An Analysis of the Mineral Waters of Saratoga and Ballston, with prac- 
tical rerflarks on their medical properties ; together with a History of the disi.nvcry 
and settlement of these celebrated Watering I'laces. and observations on the Geology 
and Mineralogy of the surrounding. country. By John H. Steel, M D. An entire 
new work. Saratoga Springs: G. M. Davison, 1831. izmo. pp. xii., 203. Second 
edition, with preface by publisher, 1838. 

STEEL. — An Analysis of the Congress Spring, with practical remarks on its Medical 
Properties. By John H. Steel. M D. Revised and corrected by John L. I'crry, 
M.D. Saratoga Springs: G. M. Davison, 1847. i6mo, pp. iv., 34. The same. 
New York : Wm. W. Rose, 1856, pp. iv., 34. The same, New York. i36o. 

STEEL. — A Report on the Geological Structure of Saratoga, N. Y 

By John H. Steel Saratoga Springs, 1822. 8vo. A copy in the New York His- 
torical Society's Library. 

STODDARD, S. R.— Lake George. Illustrated. Saratoga, Luzerne, and Schroon 
LaTce. By S. R. Stoddard. Third edition. Albany : Weed. Parsons & Co., 1874. 
i2mo, pp. 195. 

STONE, W. L.— The Life and Times of Sir William Johnson, Bart. By Willi.im I.. 
Stone. Albany: J. Munsell, 18^5. 2 vols.. 8vo, pp. xy., 555 ; xv., 554. Contain> an 
account of Sir William Johnson's visit to the Springs in 1767. 

STONE.— Saratoga Springs: being a complete Guide to the Mineral Springs, HoteU. 
Drives, and all points of interest around and in the immediate vicinity of this cele- 
brated watering place. By William L. Stone, author of the " Life and I lines of Sir 
W. Johnson, Bart." Views taken on the spot by William Gellatly. New York : I . 
Nelson & Sons, 1866. i2mo, pp. 32. 

STUART J —Three Years in North America. By James Stuart, Esq From the 
second London edition. New York : J. & J. Harper, 1833. a vols., lamo, pp. 334, 
337. See Chap. X. 

The Englishman's Illustrated Guide-Book to the United States and Canada. Loi- 
don : Longmans, Green, Reader & Dyer, 1874 lamo, pp. 26a 

The Tourist, or Pocket Manual for Travellers on the Hudson River the Western 
Canal and Stage Road to Niagara Falls, down Lake Ontario and the •;'• La^*^"" 
to Montreal and Quebec; comprising also the routes to Lebanon, Ballston. aod 



448 



APPENDIX. 



Saratoga Springs. Fourth edition, enlarged and improved. New York : Harper & 
Brothers, 1835. i6mo, pp. 106, with map. 

The Tourist, or Pocket Manual for Travellers on the Hudson River, the Western and 
Northern Canals and Railroads ; the Stage Routes to Niagara Falls, and down Lake 
Ontario and the St. Lawrence to Montreal and Quebec. Comprising also the routes 
to Lebanon. Ballston and Saratoga Springs, with many new and interesting details. 
Sixth edition. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1839. i6mo, pp. 108. 

The Traveller's Guide to the Hudson River. Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Falls of 
Niagara and Thousand Islands, Montreal, Quebec, and the Saguenay River ; also 
to the Green and White Mountains, and other parts of New England, etc. New 
York: American News Company, 1864. i6mo, pp. 324, with maps and illustra- 
tions. 

TUDOR, H.— Narrative of a Tour in North America In a Series of 

Letters, written in the year 1831-2. By Henry Tudor, Esq., Barrister-at- Law. 
London: James Duncan, 1834. 2 vols., 8vo, pp. xix., 468; x., 458. See Letter 

WALTON, G. E, — The Mineral Springs of the United States and Canada, with 
Analyses and Notes on the Prominent Spas of Europe, and a List of Seaside 
Resorts. By Geo. E. Walton, M.D. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1873. i2mo, 
pp. 390, with map. Second edition, revised and enlarged, 1874. lamo, pp 414, 
with map. 

WALWORTH, R.^ W.— The Use of Congress Water in Cholera. Letter of the 
late Chancellor Walworth, of New York, containing much valuable information, 
derived from his experience during the ravages of this disease in 18 ?2, and all its 
subsequent visits to this country. Addressed to and published in the Albany Ar^us 
of April 23, 1866, Second pamphleted. New York: Russell Bros., 1S72. 24mo, 
pp. 24. 

WATSON, W. C. — Men and Times of the Revolution ; or, Memoirs of Elkanah Wat- 
son, including Journals of Travels in Europe and America from 1777 to 1842 with 
his Correspondence with Public Men, and Reminiscences and Incidents of the Revo- 
lution. Edited by his son, Winslow C. VV'alson New York : Dana & Company, 
1856 8vo, pp. 460. Contains accounts of the visits of Elkanah Watson to Saratoga 
and Ballston in 1790 and 1S05. 

WATSON, J. F. — Historic Tales of Olden Time, concerning the early settlement 
and advancement of New York City and State. By John F. Watson. New York : 
Collins & Hanney, 1822. i2mo, pp. 214 plates. 

WATSON. — Annals and Occurrences of New York City and State in the Olden 
Time : being a collection of Memoirs, Anecdotes and Incidents concerning the City, 
County, and Inhabitants, from the days of the founders. Intended to preserve the 
recollections of olden times, and to exhibit society in its changes of manners and cus- 
toms, and the city and country in their local changes and improvements. In two 
books — one volume, octavo, embellished with pictorial illustrations. By John F. 
Watson. Philadelphia : Henry F. Anners, 1846. 8vo, pp. 390. 

WELD, I. — Travels through the States of North America and the Provinces of 
Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797. Bj' Isaac Weld, 
Jr. Fourth edition. London : Printed for John Stockdale, 1800. 8vo, pp. 552, 
plates. Gives some account of the '" Singular Mineral Springs near Saratoga," 
Letter XX. 

WILLIS, N. P. — American Scenery; or. Land, Lake, and River. Illustrations of 
Transatlantic Nature. From Drawings by U'. H. Bartlett. The Literary Depart- 
ment by N. I*. Willis. London and New York : George Virtue. 4to, 3 vols., pp. 
140 146. Contains four steel views of Saratoga and Ballston scenery, with de- 
scriptions by Willis. The work was first published in 1F38-40. 

WILLIS. — The Prose Works of N. P. Willis. New edition, in one volume. Phila- 
delphia: Henry C. Baird, 1S55. Royal 8vo, pp. -98. Contains the " Ghost Ball 

, at Congress Hall " (Dashes at Life with a Free Pencil), and various letters from or 
notices of Saratoga (Ephemera), 



APPENDIX NO. II. 



A CASE OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE OVER- 
THROWN. — DANIEL CADY'S LAST EJECTMENT 
SUIT. 

In August, 1846, the late Daniel Cady commenced a large number of ejectment 
suits to recover various farms in Saratoga County, in favor of the heirs of Sarah 
Broughton, who married a Seabury. 

The plaintiffs were Nathaniel Seabury, Daniel Swartfeger and his wife, and others. 
One suit was against Elisha Howland, to recover one of the most valuable farms in 
Halfmoon, which was defended by Edward F. Bullard, then residing in Waterford. 
Another suit against Truman Mabbet, of Halfmoon, was defended by John K Porter, 
then residing in Waterford. Various suits in favor of the same plaintiffs for farms in 
the north part of the county were defended by Judiah Ellsworth, Judge Warren, and 
other lawyers. 

The plaintiffs were direct descendants from Samson S. Broughton, one of the thir- 
teen original patentees to whom the Kayaderosseras Patent was granted in 1708. 

Although some of the farms had been occupied adversely over fifty years, yet the 
twenty-years' statute had not barred the plaintiffs' claims by reason of infancj' and 
coverture. Judge Cady had examined the cases before they were commenced, and 
pronounced the plaintiffs' title perfect. The suits were noticed for trial several times 
for the Saratoga Circuit, but as often put off by the defendants, as they had not yet 
found any chance to sustain their title. 

Finally, the suits went against the plaintiffs, May 25, 1847. 

About twenty years after, a discussion arose among various lawyers in Saratoga 
County, in which the great ability and integrity of Judge Cady was spoken of and 
conceded by all present except one, who stated that he had formerly considered Judge 
Cady the soul of integrity, but he had lately heard things against him which were to 
the contrary, and they had shaken his faith in him. The lawyer was asked to explain, 
and then stated in substance, in reference to the above suit, that many of the defend- 
ants were rich, and the plaintiffs were poor ; that one suit was apainst George W. 
Wilcox, who then kept the American Hotel in Saratoga Springs. That Mr. Cady, 
just before the trial was to take place at Ballston Spa, came to Saratoga Springs and 
remained some days ; that from there he went to Ballston, where the plaintiffs and all 
of their witnesses were ready for trial ; that after arriving at Ballston and staying a 

449 



450 APPENDIX. 



day or so waiting for the trial, Mr. Cady went home and abandoned the cases, and the 
same afternoon Judge Willard dismissed one of the suits in court ; that the plaintiffs 
never understood why they lost their cases, and firmly believed that Mr. Cady had 
been bribed by the defendants, while at the American Hotel, to abandon the suits. 
The lawyer said the circumstances certainly looked very dark against Daniel Cady. 

Fortunately Gen. Bullard was a listener to the above chain of circumstantial evi- 
dence, and could at once explain and defend the character of his friend, Judge Cady, 
by stating the exact truth, which was as follows : 

In searching back, Mr. Bullard found two deeds recorded in Albany, one from Sarah 
Broughton and her husband to a third party, and a second deed from such third party 
conveying the title to the whole of the property back to .Seabury, the husband. Such 
conveyances placed the absolute title in the husband, and cut off all the wife's rights. 
The occupants had deeds from Seabury, the husband, but the two deeds conveying 
the title from the wife had been overlooked. Those deeds gave the occupants a per- 
fect title, and defeated any claim by the plaintiffs. 

With certified copies of such two deeds, Bullard, then quite young in the profession, 
attended the court prepared for trial of the Rowland case, while the attorneys for the 
other defendants had put over their cases, as usual. 

The fact that so young a man appeared alone to defend so important a case, upon 
which the title to over §100,000 worth of land would depend, excited the alarm of the 
distinguished ejectment lawyer, and he asked if he was going to beat him. Bullard 
replied, " Certainly." Mr. Cady then said, "You and I can try the case as well in 
my room at the hotel as to appear before the court. If you are right, I don't want to 
be beat in open court, as it is the last case I expect to try as counsel." The proposi- 
tion was accepted, and the venerable lawyer, seventy-five years of age, and the strip- 
ling met in Mr. Cady's private room of Medbury's Hotel, in Ballston, May 25, 1847, 
Mr. Cady first produced his chain of title, presenting the Kayaderosseras Patent and 
traced it down to the plaintiffs, showing an apparent title in them. 

The defence conceded he had made 2l prima facie case, and then began to offer his 
deeds, beginning with the deed from Seabury to E. Howland, given early in this 
century. 

Mr. Cady answered : "Your grantor had only a life-estate as the husband of Sarah 
Broughton, and the coverture and infancy of the plaintiffs and their ancestors pre- 
vent your occupation becoming adverse." 

Bullard next presented the deed conveying the property by Sarah Broughton and 
husband to the third party as a trustee, with power to sell and convey, but further 
providing that, in case of neglect to convey all of the lands, the residue should be re- 
conveyed to the grantor and her heirs. 

Mr. Cady answered: "Such deed does not impair our title, because the trustee is 
now dead, and, having failed to convey in his lifetime, the statute of uses revests the 
title in the heirs of the grantor without any conveyance." 

Bullard next presented the deed from the trustee conveying all of the real estate 
back to Seabury, the husBand, executed before 1800. 



APPENDIX. 



451 



At a glance the eagle eye of the great lawyer saw his case was gone, and he said, 
" I give it up. That deed cuts off our whole title ; you can go up and tell Judge Wil- 
lard to enter a non-suit, and I will go home." And he did so. • 

The records in the clerk's office at Ballston Spa show that on the 25th day of May, 
1847, a non-suit was granted. 

Duncan McMartin, the son-in-law of Mr. Cady, was the attorney for the plaintiffs, 
and was present at the court, but not at the trial in the private room of Mr. Cady. 
He can verify the main facts above stated. No doubt Mr. Cady and Mr. McMartin 
at the time fully explained the matter to their clients, but as the matter was intricate 
they did not fully understand it, and would soon forget the explanation.* 

The very next month after this trial, Daniel Cady was elected Judge of the Supreme 
Court, and went into office the first Monday of July, 1847, so that we now have a 
full history of his last case as counsel, tried when he was about seventy -five years of 
age. He drew the short term of two years, and was re-elected November, 1849, for 
eight years longer. He continued to hold the office until December 31, 1854, when he 
resigned at the age of about eighty-two years, with his faculties as bright as ever. He 
lived nearly five years later, and died October, 1859, in the eighty-seventh year of his 
age, one of the greatest and purest men that ever adorned the bar and bench. 

The history of the above case shows how easily an innocent transaction may create 
a suspicion against one of the best characters the world has known. 



* Mrs. Jewell, of Saratoga, now ninety-six years old. being one of the parties re- 
ferred to, her first husband having married a Seabury, one of the children and hcin 
of Sarah Broughton. See Chap. VIII. on The Jewell Family. 



1790] SARAT OGA SPRIN GS, N,Y. [1875 

The Congress & Empire 

SPRING WATERS 
Are the best A nti- Bilious Remedies Known. 



They are purely natural mineral waters, cathartic, alterative, 
and slightly stimulating and tonic in their effects, without pro- 
ducing the debility that usually attends a course of medicines. 

They are used with marked success in affections of the 
Liver and Kidneys; and for Dyspepsia, Gout, Chronic Con- 
stipation, and Cutaneous Diseases they are unrivalled. 

They are especially beneficial as general preservatives of 
the tone of the stomach and purity of the blood, and are 
powerful preventives of Fevers and Bilious Complaints. 

These waters should be taken in the morning before break- 
fast— one pint being the usual draught — and their use may 
be continued daily for months, with the most agreeable 
results, and without reaction, or any necessity of increasing 
the quantity taken. 

CONGRESS WATER, being the most popular of the 
Saratoga waters, is largely counterfeited. Every genuine 
botde has the letter " C," with the name of the undersigned 
Proprietors, and the words Congress Watkr raised upon 
the glass. The name is also branded upon the cask and boxes. 

Genuine EMPIRE WATER may be distinguished by 
similar marks, the letter " ^," and the words Empire Water 
being substituted for those above named. 

Purchasers desiring the genuine waters of these Sj> rings should 
require these marks. 

ly None genuine sold on draught. Orders by mail receive 
prompt attention. Address, 

CONGRESS AND EMPIRE SPRING CO., 

94 Chambers Street, New York, or, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 



FISH'S SARATOGA APERIEHT. 

A RELIABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR SARATOGA WATERS. 

This preparation, when mixed with water according to the directions, represents all 
the leading constituents and possesses the same properties and therapeutic value that 
have given the natural waters of " Saratoga Springs ' such a world-wide reputation. 

It is prepared with scrupulous care, using the most recent and approved analysis of 
the best waters at Saratoga. 

Having been recom;nended by many of the best physicians, and used by many more 
throughout the country, with the most satisfactory results, we have not the least 
hesitation in presenting it to the people as a safe and reliable Aperient and 
Cathartic, particularly valuable in the summer season, and for families. 

Its compact, portable shape makes it very convenient and desirable for home use as 
well as for travellers. 

Retail price 50 cents and f i. Prepared only by 

GEO. H. FISH & SON, Pharmacists, Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 

Sold by Druggists generally throughout the United States. 

DR. ROBERT HAMILTOH, 

Whose skill in the Treatment of Chronic Diseases is known 
throughout the Country, has located his 

MEDICAL INSTITUTE 

In the most pleasant part of the Village on 

FRANKLIN STREET, 

About half a block southwest of the Depot and the United 
States Hotel, the Springs, Post-office, and Churches. 

THE BOARDING DEl'ARTMENT 
is of the first order. The building is a three-storj^ brick edifice, with large, airy, and 
well-furnished »ooms. 

Special attention is given to Female, Lung, and Chronic Diseases. In addi- 
tion to the ordinary Medicinal Agents used in general practice, the most approved 
appliances, among which are Hot, Cold, Sulphur, Medicated, Electro-Chemi- 
cal, Russian, and Vapor Baths, the Health Lift, etc., etc., are employed. This 
Institution is open all the year. 

Among Dr. Hamilton's patrons are Ex-Gov. Hale of N. H. ; Rev. L D. ParrowS, 
D.D. ; Rev. Dr. Humphrey; Rev. John Leyburn, D D., of Baltimore; Ex-Senator 
Coolcy; Senator Ferris, of Mich., and others of prominence in the Nation. 

REFERENCES: 
Rev. Bishop Simpson, DD., Philadelphia; Prof D. S. Smith, M.D., Chicago, 111.; 
Ex-Gov. Claflin, Mass.; Prof. R. S. Newton, N. Y.; Prof H. A. Wilson, Saratoga 
Springs; Hon. H. H. Hathorn For further information, address 

R. HAMILTON, M.D , Saratoga Springs, N. Y. 



Saratoga Book Store. 
E. R. STEVENS, 

80 and 82 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, 

First door north of Congress Hall, and opposite the Grand Union Hotel. 

ALWAYS IN STOCK 

A 

Very Large and Select Stock of Books, 

COMPRISING THE 

VERY LATEST AND CHOICEST 

IN 

Current Literature, ScJiool Books, Religious Books, 
Prayer-Books, etc., etc. 



A very large variety of Fine English Note Papers, the very latest 
Tints and Styles. A specialty is made of Tinted Papers in Boxes. 
Mourning Paper and Envelopes in great variety. 

Russia Leather Goods, comprising Ladies' and Gents' Port- 
monnaies, Card Cases, Letter Books, Cigar Cases, etc., etc. 

The best English and German Pocket Cutlery, also Scissor and 
Hunting Knives. 

Autograph, Photograph, and Scrap Albums. 

A large stock of Parlor and Outdoor Games. Croquet, Ring 
Toss, etc. 

Backgammon Boards, Checkers, Chess, and Cribbage Boards 
and Boxes. 

Stereoscopic Views of Saratoga, Lake George, and Ausablc 

Chasm. 
Sheet Music, the latest in Vocal and Instrumental, and Strauss 

Walt.-^cs. 

A Circulating Library is connected with the store, comprising 
about 600 Volumes of the choicest of Standard Boaks. The terms 
are verv reasonable. Subscriptions by tlie Year, S ason, Month. 
or Week. 



SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. 



J. H. Breslin & Co., 



Proprietors. 



This is the most Modern Hotel to-day in the World! Mr. 
A. T. Stewart having the last year expended upward of 
$400,000 in improvements and additions since the closing 
of the house last Summer. 

Among the many improvements that have been made may 
be mentioned 300 suits of rooms, each suit containing hot 
and cold water, bath-rooms, closets, bells throughout the en- 
tire establishment, etc., etc. 

In addition, moreover, to all this, the grounds are of the 
most beautiful character, laid out under the supervision of 
Mr. Portland, of the Central Park, New York. 

The terms are the same as last Season ; and we may with- 
out fear of contradiction say to the travelling public that it 
shall be our aim, as it has always been our pleasure, to do all 
that is in our power, individually and collectively, to make it 
pleasant for all who may favor us with a visit. 

,^4Pi J. H. BRESLIN & CO. 



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